|  | Healthcare Industry | Hospitals

Where to Find Funding for Bariatric Equipment for Hospitals

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 34 percent of Americans are medically obese. This presents a challenge for America's hospitals--the care of obese patients can strain resources as more and more large patients need to be accommodated. Fortunately, resources exist to help hospitals finance bariatric-care equipment without breaking their bottom line.

  1. Non-Profit & Government Funding

    • One fairly simple source of funding is the non-profit sector and state and local governments. Many private and community foundations provide capital to fund community-health programs, and states sometimes provide grants for worthy programs. For example, in June 2009, the Poudre Valley Health System received a $68,650 grant from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to purchase a new ambulance that can accommodate morbidly obese patients.

      Hospital administrators should design a grant request to these charitable organizations and government agencies, detailing the need for the equipment plus a reasonable statement of the expected return on the investment. An excellent case can be made that an investment in the right equipment and staff training will help obese patients seek appropriate medical attention without fear of discrimination; furthermore, a one-time grant that funds equipment as well as a nurse or social worker to engage in outpatient bariatric case management could be an easy sell to a motivated non-profit.

    Medical Research Funding

    • Bariatric surgery is still a growing science. In partnership with the research or medical-education wing of a local medical school or bariatrics practice, a hospital can negotiate an agreement to conduct medical research for bariatrics, and include within the joint agreement some provision for equipping the hospital with the full range of equipment necessary to care for obese patients.

      Additionally, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, a part of the National Institutes for Health, serve as a clearinghouse for funding bariatric-research programs.

    Revise Payer Contracts

    • Another potential source of long-term revenue comes from renegotiation of payer contracts. Emphasizing health and well-being as a philosophical approach to payer relations, a hospital can collect metrics about the health (including mean and median body-mass index) of each insurance plan's members and can negotiate additional targeted reimbursement dollars to offset the additional cost of care for obese patients. For example, if Plan XYZ's covered lives have a median BMI of 33, but the median BMI for all patients is 27.5, an excellent case can be made that the payer should contribute to offsetting the hospital expenses associated with caring for obese patients.

Hospitals - Related Articles