Surgeons’ and payers’ perceptions of barriers to accessing bariatric and metabolic surgery in Argentina: An exploratory qualitative study

Estudio cualitativo

Published on 9 de diciembre de 2025 | http://doi.org/10.5867/medwave.2025.11.3154

Surgeons’ and payers’ perceptions of barriers to accessing bariatric and metabolic surgery in Argentina: An exploratory qualitative study

Back to article Table 5

Perceptions of surgeons and health insurance officers regarding Law 26 396 and its practical application.

Criteria	Surgeons	Health insurance officers
Overall assessment	The law represents a step forward in formalizing access.	The law acts as a regulatory framework.
Limiting factorsDeadlines imposed on the requirements	Legal requirements are out of step with medical practice.	They experience economic pressure due to mandatory coverage.
Limiting factorsDeadlines imposed on the requirements	It bureaucratizes the process without improving results.	Administrative complexity in meeting requirements.
Pre-surgical requirements	They have a negative impact on patients' mental health, motivation, quality of life, and health.	They are necessary to demonstrate adherence and to link lifestyle changes to the long-term success of the surgery.
Overall assessment	Unnecessary and perceived as a barrier to access.	Necessary for the proper selection of candidates.

Source: Prepared by the authors based on data from the study.