If you are considering bariatric (weight-loss) surgery, please call Customer Service at the number on your ID card and they will help you every step of the way.

When you call:

1. Customer Service will check if your health plan provides coverage for bariatric surgery.

If your employer is based in Minnesota or Wisconsin and has 100 or fewer employees participating in a Medica health plan, there is no coverage for bariatric surgery.

Customer Service will help you choose a bariatric surgeon and hospital that participate in our Centers of Excellence program AND in your health plan’s network.

Not all Centers of Excellence health care providers participate in every health plan network, so this is important.

What’s the Centers of Excellence program? The goal of the Centers of Excellence program is to ensure that members receive safe, high-quality care. Bariatric surgeons and hospitals approved by Medica’s Centers of Excellence have undergone thorough screening and have met stringent quality standards.

If you have a Medica Elect or Medica Essential plan, most likely you will need a referral. Other plans do not require a referral.

This approval (also called “prior authorization”) for bariatric surgery is required for all Medica plans.