At one point in time, gastric bypass was considered an elective surgery. Health insurance companies would not pay for the procedure. They had the attitude that these people could lose weight on their own if they tried, and they refused to pay for the surgery. Today gastric bypass is often covered by health insurance companies. They have come to realize that many patients cannot control their weight, and they realize that it is better to pay for the surgery than it is to pay the expenses

A health insurance exchange program proposed by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) would provide workers at more than 50000 small businesses with better …