Starting in January, South Carolina's state health plan will pay for 100 state workers to undergo either gastric bypass or Lap-Band surgery. The pilot program is designed to determine if the procedures lead to lower obesity rates - and lower healthcare costs. Qualifications include a Body Mass Index of at least 40, and participants will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis.

While some government officials question the spending (each surgery costs approximately $24,000), others point out that spending now could lead to saving later. Obesity rates in the Palmetto State have doubled in the past 20 years, and the state's health agency reports that an annual $1 billion is spent on treating obesity-related diseases. The program will track participants over 18 months to monitor the surgery's impact on overall health and healthcare spending.