Device makers urge coverage of weight-loss surgery

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Subway commuters walk through the turnstiles while leaving the U.S. Open in New York …

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Device manufacturers are pushing the government and health insurers to cover weight-loss surgery, an effort that could give millions more obese Americans access to the treatments.

Advocates say it will give obese patients a complete arsenal for fighting the condition that can spur a host of life-threatening illnesses and help save billions of dollars in healthcare costs for employers and the government.

Critics argue that bariatric surgery has high rates of complications and that, ultimately, surgery does not change the behavior underlying obesity.  More....YAHOO NEWS