When it comes to medical weight-loss programs, there was little difference in outcomes for those who paid out of pocket compared with those with insurance, according to a Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center study.
The study was published in the June issue of the journal Obesity.
Theres a rather pervasive idea that patients who pay more out of pocket for a weight-loss program, who have more skin in the game so to speak, will be more engaged in the treatment and consequently have better outcomes than people whose treatment is covered by insurance, said Dr. Jamy Ard, the studys lead author.
Ard is co-director of the systems Weight Management center.
Our data suggest that bearing responsibility for the majority of the treatment cost is not required to achieve engagement and clinically meaningful weight loss in a comprehensive medical weight-loss program, Ard said.
Researchers reviewed the electronic medical records of 943 individuals enrolled in a non-surgical weight-loss program between January 2013 and June 2015. A total of 480 participants were covered by insurance, while 463 paid the cost out of pocket.
Researchers said the demographics of the groups were comparable in terms of gender and ethnicity. Participants covered by insurance on average were slightly younger, had a lower body mass index, and resided in lower per capita neighborhoods.
What the study found is that participants covered by insurance had a mean weight loss of 13.4 percent, compared with 13.6 percent for those who self-paid.
There also was little difference in the percentages of those who lost 5 percent or more of their baseline weight, average time spent in the program, and the number of clinic visits made.
The greatest difference between the two groups: the dropout rates 12.7 percent for the covered patients and 17.6 percent for the out-of-pocket payers.
Researchers said their study could help determine how insurance status affects both initial motivation to seek weight-loss treatment and engagement in weight-loss programs.
This is especially important as we try to expand coverage for obesity treatment and stem the tide of the obesity epidemic, Ard said.
Other study co-authors were Drs. Matt Emery and Kristina Lewis and researchers Miranda Cook, Erica Hale, Annette Frain and Eunyong Son.
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Payment method has little influence in weight loss programs - Winston-Salem Journal
