Blue Cross Blue Shield of GA

Catherine.... I think there are different kinds of BCBS ...Even not all HMOs are same to one another... and there are POS and PPO too.. I know that my BCBS HMO "Blue Choice" covereed me in august'05 (approved in June), but when I got new booklets during open enrollement periodat work in November it said that WLS was not covered... Best of luck to you, Rita

Ask about your new enployer exclusions it vary with each contract

In my experience with prior approval with our patients, every policy is different. You need to make sure the procedure is a covered benefit. Many BC of Ga policies dropped the procedure last year, but I have found some that still cover it. To be safe, call the benefit department and find out specifically if your policy covers weight loss surgery.

I also have BCBS PPO, and everything has been submitted 1/25/06 to the insurance company for WLS approval. It's being reviewed right now.

Catherine.... Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia does not cover the surgery as of January 1st 2006. I asked because I have Cobra- BCBS in Florida and Cobra takes the last insurance policy I had and extends it 18 months and it stays the same. Even if the company I worked for changed their plan Cobra remains the same. If I got the surgery under Cobra and have complictions later on , BCBS of GA will pay to fix the complications but they do NOT do the surgery- it is an exclusion and once it is an exclusion not even a lawyer will help. Call and see for yourself. It was different in July of 2005 and 2004 they used to cover it at that time- not now..so see if you cn keep your old insurance for like 6 months on Cobra to get the surgery or you will be stuck with no payment for the surgery. I called 10 times at least to be sure..I am sure. Good luck Edyth