New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery First in East Tennessee to Offer BLIS Insurance, Peace of Mind to Cash-pay Patients
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Dr. Stephen G. Boyce of the New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery is the first surgeon in East Tennessee to include basic BLIS insurance coverage as part of the normal program fee for cash-pay surgical weight loss patients.
Choosing to undergo a surgical procedure is never an easy choice, especially for people who don't have insurance coverage. Dr. Boyce and the New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery have been helping cash-pay patients interested in undergoing weight loss surgery for a number of years and now have the BLIS program in place to help patients with their decision to move forward with surgery.
BLIS Inc., based in Portland, Ore., contracted with Dr. Boyce at the New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery, along with Parkwest Medical Center, a Covenant Health facility, to provide an innovative approach for medical coverage should a complication arise for a self-pay patient.
"This program is only offered to a handful of surgeons across the country who are proven to have strong clinical outcomes and minimal complications," said Dr. Boyce, medical director of the New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery and a surgeon with more than 20 years of experience. "Essentially it's another way for patients to be assured that their surgeon is verified to have excellent skills, and it encourages surgeons and hospitals to provide high-quality care."
BLIS continually monitors its participating surgeons to ensure that the clinical outcomes for patients are meeting expectations.
"Much like car insurance carriers, we monitor our physician partners to make sure that they meet our high quality standards," said BLIS President and CEO Regi Schindler. "By being involved with this program, the New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery is providing patients peace of mind and showing just how committed they are to the long term success and safety of their patients."
"Many patients are willing to pay cash for a surgical procedure but are nervous about the potential out-of-pocket costs that they might incur should a complication arise. With the state of the economy today, most people are unable to justify this financial risk for themselves and their families," Dr. Boyce said. "Complications at New Life Center are significantly less than those published by most other large, nationally known Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence. Although complications are rare, they can happen. The peace of mind of not having to pay for medical expenses should a complication occur helps patients to feel more comfortable with their decision."
Dr. Boyce of the New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery is the first surgeon in East Tennessee to be accepted into and start utilizing the BLIS program. Due to the partnership with BLIS, the New Life Center expects to start seeing patients from a broader geographical area traveling to the program for surgery.
The BLIS program coverage has been implemented already for all of Dr. Boyce's cash-pay patients and will cover common complications from surgery for a specified amount of time.
"The peace of mind that we now offer to our patients through this program is phenomenal," Dr. Boyce said. "We certainly hope that none of our patients ever need to utilize it but feel strongly that it is a great patient benefit."
The New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery offers free informational seminars every second and fourth Tuesday at 5:30 at Parkwest Medical Center and at additional times in both Sevierville and Oak Ridge. Contact 865-694-9676 for registration and location information.
About New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery
The New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery offers both medically supervised and surgical weight loss programs that are physician-monitored and designed to improve health through sustained weight loss based on reasonable long-term goals. For more information, visit
http://www.newlifebariatricsurgery.com.
About BLIS
BLIS is a privately held company headquartered in Lake Oswego, Ore., with an insurance services office in Bloomington, Minn. BLIS provides insurance, patient financing and professional consulting services through a network of related business entities and industry partners. For more information, visit http://www.bliscompany.com.