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Committee passes bill expanding bariatric surgery coverage for commercial plans; injectables excluded
Summary
The committee approved House Bill 1424 to require commercial insurers to cover bariatric surgery under specified criteria. Testimony emphasized long-term cost savings, while insurers warned of short-term premium impacts. The bill does not require commercial plans to cover newer weight-loss injectables and does not expand Medicaid coverage.
The Arkansas House Insurance & Commerce Committee voted to pass House Bill 1424 on Tuesday, a measure that would require commercial health plans to cover bariatric surgery for qualifying patients under defined clinical criteria.
Representative Lee Johnson, sponsor of the bill, introduced the measure and brought bariatric surgeons to testify, including Dr. Sam Bledsoe of Arkansas Heart Hospital and Dr. Eric Paul of Baptist Health Medical Center's bariatric surgery program. Dr. Bledsoe said the bill would expand coverage "to virtually every Arkansan" who meets clinical criteria and estimated the eligible population at roughly…
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