Russia Lists Obesity Surgeries Covered by Mandatory Health Insurance

Dragon Media News Desk

Russia’s Federal Mandatory Health Insurance Fund has outlined several surgical procedures that may be covered under the country’s mandatory health insurance system for patients with severe obesity.

The fund’s press service told TASS that patients with medically severe obesity may undergo sleeve gastrectomy, a procedure in which part of the stomach is removed to reduce its size. Gastric bypass and other laparoscopic bariatric procedures may also be available under mandatory health insurance.

Such operations are not intended as routine weight-loss measures. They are generally considered for patients with severe obesity following specialist medical assessment, taking into account the degree of obesity, overall health condition and the presence of related diseases.

The availability of these procedures under mandatory health insurance reflects the recognition of severe obesity as a medical condition that may require surgical treatment when appropriate clinical criteria are met.