Hi All, I need to ...

Hi All, I need to post about a recent event. Friday my CEO announced we will not be offering Bariatric surgery as an option on our health plan. (we recently switched from Medica to BC/BS.) The new**** me like a large black curtain falling!! Now, I had my surgery in Jan '06 so this will not affect me, but I felt hurt and now angry. I immediately went into his office, said I understand the financial impact on a smaller organiztion (230 people) but was concerned about the impact on our employees and families. He proceded to tell me this was 1- we've had 6 thus far and cost 40K, and 2. merely an "imput" issue for obese people and not his responsibility to fix their issues. Then went on to share his view of why people eat, and how the species needs to amass fat to survive. . . By the end of this I expressed my chagrin and dissappointment in the decision- that I felt very strongly about this issue. But what I really felt was a strong prejidice against obese people, myself included. It's fine if I work hard, am a director, and a personal friend of the CEO but this closed minded attitude only helped to make me sad and angry. Am I nuts or did I overreact? Thoughts? thanks cj

He obvisously doesn't understand all the money he will save by not having to foot the bill for the health issues of SMO people who could have but now won't be able to hav WLS. Boy when he gets higher premiums on the BCBS due to this you may have the last laugh. It continues to amaze me how uneducated peopel really are.

Hey CJ: You did not overreact at all! Furthermore, I am WICKED proud of you for marching into a CEO's office to tell him your feelings. That is very impressive and was the absolute right thing to do. Apparently, he is an idiot...and it is so sad that so many people in positions like that are biased and close-minded. But you are to be applauded for sticking up for what you believe in! Congrats! Jersey

You did what you should have done. People just assume it's a "YOu just shouldn't eat so much" issue, rather than a health issue. Ignorance is bliss. Wait until he pays a lot of medical bills and has lost production due to lack of energy from being obese. Karla 337/204/150

Good for you for standing up for what is right. He should also remove coverages for all diseases realeted to being overwieght. For his education he should be removing ~cholesterol meds from the presdcription program ~diabetes treatments and medicines ~heart bypass surgery ~any type of cardiovascular treatments for any person who is not 24.9 or less on the BMI chart ~High Blood Pressure ~Cancer ~Osteoarthritis ~Chronic Low Back Pain ~Psychological disorders ~Dyslipidemia (lipid metabolism abnormalities) ~Hypercholesterolemia ~Hypertriglyceridemia ~Gastroesophageal reflux disease/heartburn ~Skin Disorders ~Liver disease ~Gallbladder disease and gallstones ~Gout ~ Pulmonary (breathing) problems asthma and sleep apnea ~Reproductive problems in women ~Bladder Control/Stress Urinary Incontinence There is an organization who fights discrimination. http://www.obesitylaw.com/ Tell Mr Fat Hater that if he excludes the above list his policy would really be cheaper. Why only exclude one option. Tell him to go for the gusto!!!!!!! God Bless! Jen One more thing, since he has all the answers why people eat and are fat ... maybe he could open a treatment center since he is such an expert.

brave woman! well done! thank you for expressing your opinion to him---that's very helpful for all of us (pre/post)... i don't really tell people i had surgery because i don't want to always talk about it---but it's amusing to me that several people have commented to me that i lost weight the "real way" and didn't just give in and have surgery---like i haven't fought my weight my entire life!!!!! it's interesting to me that people who believe in medical treatment for everything else think WLS isn't a true medical need...! my surgeon gave an interview recently and he commented that he thinks that one of the greatest failings of modern medicine is their attitudes and poor treatment of obesity. i think that this outlook is very compassionate and i certainly appreciated it. i take culpability in my being overweight--but i think that it's a very complex thing for me (and most of us)and just too over-simple to believe that i just couldn't control what i ate---- anyhow.....thank you again--this was a great post- Cathy