Cholesterol

Now 44, he's happy about dropping 45 pounds and losing his pains along with the fat.

He aims to slim down to 190 in the next 12 to 14 months.

But Mirabile is not happy about having to pay for the $15,000 procedure out of his own pocket.

He said his health plan, a Humana PPO, refused to cover the operation.

"I asked them if they would cover it and I was turned down," Mirabile said.

"They said I wasn't overweight enough to be considered.

I was disappointed.

But my medical conditions were at the point where my weight was affecting my life.

I just figured I'll pay for it myself." Mirabile's lack of health insurance coverage for this increasingly popular weight loss surgery - also known as bariatric surgery - is not unusual.

While Medicare broadened its coverage last year to include more types of procedures, some private health insurers won't pay for bariatric surgery or cover it under very limited circumstances.

The surgery is expensive.

Locally the cost can range from about $14,000 to $23,000, depending on the type of procedure, said surgeon C.

Thomas Hitchcock with the Bariatric Center of Kansas City, which is on the campus of Shawnee Mission Medical Center.

"We have a huge number of people on our waiting list, pending approval by their insurance company," Hitchcock said.

"Insurance companies are very s...

As you begin making these healthier choices, remember that old eating patterns can be hard to break, so you may not be able to change overnight.

Introduce improvements to your diet gradually.

Before you know it, your new choices will become as routine as your old ones.

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