Crapper busting fatties of Austin, TX rejoice!

[davebg 0]

Free gastric bypass surgeries for Travis county employees.

 

Maybe we should change it from Austin to Autistic, TX (focking dumbasses.)

 

Here's a novel idea. Why not pay for your employees to get a membership to a focking gym so they don't become fatassed land monsters in the first place?

AUSTIN — Travis County is considering a pilot program to offer weight-loss surgery to its employees after a review suggested the move could save money in the long run.

 

County commissioners may decide today whether to pay for up to 15 bariatric surgeries per year during a five-year trial. The surgeries, which involve reducing the size of the stomach or rerouting the intestines, would each cost about $15,000 to $25,000, the county said.

 

"Unfortunately, the program is obviously very needed," County Judge Sam Biscoe said. "We do have more than our fair share of employees who qualify."

 

To qualify, county employees would have to be diagnosed with morbid obesity and go through one year of monitored unsuccessful dieting and exercise. The county estimates that 300 to 400 of its 4,100 employees would be eligible for the surgery.

 

While an annual review of the county's health care plan found that the surgeries could save money, the county's staff has not provided conclusive data, Biscoe said.

 

Commissioner Gerald Daugherty said the pilot program is a worthwhile test of whether the policy will work. He said it would take only a fraction of the county's $60 million health care budget.

 

"To me, it's a calculated way to see if we can help ourselves out since we're self-insured," he said.

 

Susan Smith, executive director for the Texas Municipal League's Intergovernmental Employee Benefits Pool, said Texas cities that have covered bariatric surgeries found them to cost more than anticipated.

 

The high costs caused the cities to scale back their coverage, she said, adding that Travis County's cost estimates are probably too low.

 

The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese. It says weight-loss surgery has been found to help with conditions such as diabetes, asthma and hypertension.

 

Smith said the health benefits of weight-loss surgery prompted the municipal league to begin offering coverage starting next month. Its insurance will cover 50 percent of the cost, up to $30,000. The procedure will be available only to those who have demonstrated they cannot otherwise lose weight, she said.

 

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metrop...an/4197253.html

[Electric Mayhem 35]

To qualify, county employees would have to be diagnosed with morbid obesity and go through one year of monitored unsuccessful dieting and exercise.

 

Unless you have someone live with the person and monitor their food intake 24/7, you cannot say the actually dieted and excercised. If you are addicted to food, YOU FIND A WAY TO EAT IT. That said, I think that if people actually can not lose weight through diet and excersice (which i honestly don't understand - you burn fat if you need energy. If you work out and diet, you have to lost fat. I don't get any other reasoning) it's a good idea to aid them with the surgery.

 

The county estimates that 300 to 400 of its 4,100 employees would be eligible for the surgery.

 

Wow. That means almost 10% are "morbidly obese". I'd like to see a study that shows how long they have been that way and what their daily food intake is. Not during a 1 or 2 day period of dieting but on the average for the year. I bet it's a lot.

[hellothere 1]

I ate a baby!

 

get in my belly!

[jerryskids 5,265]

I too was amazed at that 10% number.

 

The problem with these surgeries is that afterwards, it takes significant dietary control and restriction as you slowly adopt your body to its teeny tummy. If these people had a fraction of such control, they wouldn't have needed the surgery.

[hoytdwow 202]

Lee Evans