Wellcare and Lapbands
Short version: Does anyone know of a surgeon who takes Wellcare?
I want to have the lapband surgery done, my doctor wants me to have the lapband surgery done, but I'm running into a snag finding a doctor that can get it done.
See, I'm on Medicaid, and had to choose between Wellcare and Amerigroup HMOs - Peachstate was not offered. I chose Wellcare because my doctor said it was easier to work with than Amerigroup.
The problem is that Wellcare refuses to tell me what surgeons they cover; they say my doctor should call and find out. The new nurse at my doctor's office says she doesn't have time to call around; I should call all the surgeons in Georgia individually and find out who takes Wellcare, since Wellcare's website doesn't give immediate feedback.
There are two surgical programs near where I live (well, within an hour drive): Memorial Health in Savannah, which does not take Medicaid at all, and SouthCoast in Brunswick, which takes Medicaid for the hospital fees but not for the surgeon's fees. I live on $623 a month - paying out of pocket is not an option.
I'm willing to make it a road trip to get the surgery done - I've got several people who would make the drive with me, and someone to take care of my son while I'm in the hospital. The problem is finding out where I can go. I'm trying to call around to the various surgeons in Georgia, but I'm the single parent of an autistic child and I go to school full time - there's not a lot of free time in my schedule to make all these phone calls, not to mention the long distance charges.
So, that's the long version, explaining why I need to find someone who can take Wellcare so that I can get this surgery done and maybe have a bit more energy to chase after my son without carrying around masses of flab.
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