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No application, no waiting for approval: how the path to weight-loss surgery with a chance of cost coverage by German health insurance works today – from the MMK programme to aftercare.
Medically reviewed byDr. med. Oliver ScheffelSpecialist in general and bariatric surgeryLast updated:
Anyone thinking about weight-loss surgery often thinks of complicated applications, months of waiting and frustrating rejections. That is how it used to be. At the Weight Doctors® it works differently: there is no advance application, and we take care of the communication with the German health insurer – you have no correspondence with the insurer.
And something else too few people talk about: weight-loss surgery can change far more than the number on the scales. It can improve diabetes, lower blood pressure – and in certain cases improve the conditions for a long-cherished wish to have a child.
Weight Doctors BARIATRICS® is a carefully compiled selection of minimally invasive procedures – for patients with a high BMI and serious related conditions, who often cannot find a suitable treatment elsewhere. Two procedures are available:
Both procedures are carried out minimally invasively using keyhole surgery with barely visible scars – and for both there is a chance of cost coverage by the German health insurer where there is a medical indication in line with the guidelines.
At the Weight Doctors® you do not submit an application to your German health insurer. The route has four steps, always with private medical support:
| Indication | BMI | Route to surgery |
|---|---|---|
| Primary indication | BMI ≥ 50 or BMI ≥ 35 with type 2 diabetes with all other treatment options exhausted | Immediate surgery possible |
| Medical indication | BMI ≥ 40 or BMI ≥ 35 with recognised related conditions | after the 6-month MMK programme |
Your place of treatment is the Weight Doctors® Nationalklinik in Wertheim, our national obesity centre about 40 minutes south of Frankfurt Airport – for statutorily and privately insured patients as well as for self-payers.
* For patients with German statutory health insurance: if the medical indication is established in line with the DGAV guidelines, reimbursement may be possible.
The multimodal programme (MMK) is a 6-month preparation programme recommended by the German Obesity Society (DAG). It is a prerequisite for cost coverage by statutory health insurance but is not itself an insurance benefit. At the Weight Doctors® we organise all the appointments for you.
In the MMK programme, all the evidence the German health insurer needs is documented – we coordinate the appointments.
Severe overweight can affect the hormonal balance in such a way that natural conception becomes more difficult. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common hormonal disorders in women of childbearing age – and is closely linked to obesity.
What many people do not know: the German Society for General and Visceral Surgery (DGAV) recognises PCOS and fertility impairment as obesity-related conditions. From a BMI of 35, cost coverage by the health insurer may be possible in connection with PCOS.
Sustained weight loss can have a positive effect on the hormonal balance and thereby improve the conditions for a later pregnancy. You can read more in the article Unfulfilled wish to have a child due to overweight.
Important: at the time of the procedure you must not be pregnant, nor may a pregnancy be planned immediately. That is why timing is so important – those who act before the wish to have a child becomes urgent create good conditions. If this topic concerns you, talk to us in a confidential conversation that is 100% free of obligation.
The DGAV lists a number of obesity-related conditions which, together with a BMI of 35 or above, can be sufficient for cost coverage by German health insurance. Even one of them can open the way:
Weight-loss surgery is the beginning, not the end. In the first 4–6 weeks after the procedure, a special fluid-based diet is provided. After that you rebuild your diet step by step in agreement with the Weight Doctors® Coaches.
After a gastric sleeve, vitamin B12 is supplemented for life, because the body can no longer absorb enough of it through the intestine. Annual check-ups are part of this – for early detection of deficiencies and for your long-term health.
Does that sound like a lot of effort? It doesn’t have to be. Every treatment at the Weight Doctors® is embedded in 360° care. This includes:
The risk of untreated morbid obesity is in many cases higher than the risk of the operation itself. Talk to us – we advise you honestly and independently of any particular therapy.
The Weight Doctors® advise independently of any particular therapy. If another treatment suits your situation better, we will recommend exactly that. With us, the conversation comes before the treatment – not the other way round.
You will find all prices in the overview of services. And if you are still unsure: that is exactly what the consultation with no obligation is for.
The Weight Doctors® are represented at 23 locations in 6 countries, 15 of them in Germany: Aachen, Berlin, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt am Main, Freiburg, Hamburg, Hanover, Heidelberg, Leipzig, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart and Wiesbaden – as well as the Nationalklinik in Wertheim am Main as the national obesity centre. Internationally we are represented in Salzburg (Austria), Waalre near Eindhoven (Netherlands), London (Great Britain), at four locations in South Africa and in Namibia. You will find all locations under Obesity centres.
Our team speaks German, Dutch and English as native languages.
Your question isn’t listed? Your specialist will take time for it during the consultation.
For patients with a BMI above 40 (even without related conditions) or a BMI above 35 with at least one weight-related condition such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnoea or PCOS. Prerequisites are unsuccessful attempts at conservative therapy and a strong motivation to change one’s lifestyle permanently.
No. There is no advance application with us. We organise everything from the MMK programme to the operation; billing with your German health insurer follows directly after the procedure.
The multimodal programme (MMK) is a 6-month preparation programme with five pillars: nutrition counselling (5 sessions), exercise log, psychological evaluation, gastroscopy and comprehensive blood count. We organise all the appointments.
Obesity can affect the hormonal balance and promote conditions such as PCOS, which can limit fertility. Weight loss can improve the conditions for a later pregnancy. At the time of the procedure you must not be pregnant, nor may a pregnancy be planned immediately. We advise you on this individually and sensitively.
Yes, with a primary indication: with a BMI ≥ 50 or a BMI ≥ 35 with type 2 diabetes in which all treatment options have been exhausted, surgery can be carried out after a shortened preparation programme.
With a gastric sleeve the stomach is reduced lengthwise, and the volume falls by 75–80%. With a gastric bypass, part of the small intestine is additionally bypassed, so that the body also absorbs fewer calories. The bypass is particularly suitable from a BMI above 45 and works in two ways.
Privately insured patients have, in our experience, simpler conditions. If the procedure is classed as medically necessary, many insurers cover the costs partly or in full. As a self-paying patient you receive Weight Doctors BARIATRICS® including private medical preliminary examination and aftercare; the prices are in the overview of services.
Anyone who pays for their treatment themselves can often declare the costs as an extraordinary burden in their income tax return. Requirements, pitfalls and the steps at a glance.
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Losing weight does not begin with a treatment, but with listening. An overview of the Weight Doctors® treatments, the path to cost coverage by German health insurance and the support afterwards.
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* For patients with German statutory health insurance: if the medical indication is established in line with the DGAV guidelines, reimbursement may be possible.
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* For patients with German statutory health insurance: if the medical indication is established in line with the DGAV guidelines, reimbursement may be possible.
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Weight Doctors® GLP-1 pharmacotherapyMedication-based, no procedure3–12 months · from €599Medically supervised pharmacotherapy with regular progress monitoring – with no procedure at all.
No procedure
Find out more Weight Doctors® GLP-1 pharmacotherapyBook a consultation
Weight Doctors® hydroGMAEndoscopic, no incisionsapprox. 30 min · on requestLosing weight without medication: lowering the hunger hormone endoscopically – no surgery, no incisions. On its own or combined with an endo sleeve.
Long-lastingNew
Weight Doctors® GASTRIC BALLOONTemporary, also swallowable6 or 12 months · from €3,490A temporary companion for 6 or 12 months – also swallowable, with no endoscopy at all.
No surgery
Find out more Weight Doctors® GASTRIC BALLOONBook a consultation
Weight Doctors SLEEVE®Endoscopic, permanent30–60 min · from €5,500Permanent stomach reduction without conventional surgery – endoscopic, outpatient, without scars.
No surgeryHealth insurance cover also possible*
Weight Doctors BARIATRICS®Surgical, minimally invasive1–3 nights · from €2,900Gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery for higher BMIs, incl. private medical preliminary examination and aftercare.
With surgeryHealth insurance cover also possible*
Weight Doctors® RESHAPEAfter weight lossindividual · from €1,950Post-bariatric body contouring after successful weight loss.
After weight lossHealth insurance cover also possible*
Weight Doctors® REVISIONCorrective procedure after weight-loss surgeryindividual · from €900Corrective procedure when earlier weight-loss surgery has not brought the desired success.
With surgeryHealth insurance cover also possible*
Weight Doctors® 360°Nutrition coachingper session · from €65Nutrition coaching and support in everyday life – in person, by video and in the app.
No procedure
Weight Doctors® MEMBERSHIPThe foundation of every therapyMedical oversight, app, scales, 3D Bodyscan and aftercare – the foundation of every Weight Doctors® therapy.
Weight Doctors® lipoedema surgeryLosing weight with a fat distribution disorder1.5–3 hours · from €950In lipoedema, fatty tissue increases abnormally on the legs or arms – with consultation and lipoedema surgery.
LipoedemaHealth insurance cover also possible*
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* For patients with German statutory health insurance: if the medical indication is established in line with the DGAV guidelines, reimbursement may be possible.
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