Insurance-related barriers are delaying timely and essential bariatric and metabolic surgery for patients living with severe obesity, a survey conducted by an organisation working in the field has found. It also found that nearly all surgeons feel the insurance processes need major streamlining to improve access to health care.

Obesity and Metabolic Surgery Society of India (OSSI) had conducted a survey, which brought to light that 87.2 per cent surgeons saw higher patient interest after the 2019 Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) mandate for inclusion of bariatric and metabolic surgery.