HELP! Seeking RNY (Lap) Surgeon that accepts IPA/Medicaid!

Hello All,
I ahev been on the phone for hours trying to find a surgeon that accepts IPA/Medicaid for the RNY (Lap). I have two toddlers and can not do RNY (Open). I have no one to care for them whil I recoup from such an invasive surgery!

I looked in the old thread but they are from years ago.

Anyone know of any doctors that accept it as of 2009??

Please help!

Reply here or email me at [email protected]

Thanks!

Heather

Hi, Heather!  I am just starting out and I was having the same problem.  Im not sure exactly where you live but I know the Washington University in St. Louis was taking Medicaid but I know they were not accepting any new patients till Nov. 09, I am going thru Dr. Oliphant in Urbana and they do accept medicaid and I just received the paperwork with them, and then there is the University of Illinois out of Chicago but not sure about any info on them.

I'm am just south of Rockford, Illinois near the WI/IL border. Out of the dozens of phone calls I've made, including all the doctors listed under Sticky Thread For Medicaid/Medicare, Dr. Oliphant is the ONLY doctor accepting patients that does the RNY (Lap) and works with Medicaid/IPA.

UIC & UoI both said as of January 1st, 2009 they no longer accept Medicaid patients and to disregard any sites that say they do.

Dr. OIiphant requires a PCP referral even through IPA does not. I saw my PCP today and she said she'd send over a referral. I had to have the nurse re-weigh me because apparently I've dropped weight since I saw them in January. I was 225 Jan. 10th, 37.4 BMI, today I was 208, 34.6 BMI (Most likely due to being a on too high of a dose of Synthroid and my TSH being very low). Of course, I flipped out thinking "OMG, I'm not going to qualify now!" So I called Dr. Oliphant's office up and they said not to worry about it, as long as I'm documents at 35+ with co-morbidities I should be fine.

Their routine works like this: PCP Referral, within 2 weeks you get a packet, fill it out and mail back, Dr. Oliphant approves or denies you, they schedule the consult, then you have to go through support sessions, etc. Unlike some doctors he isn't a "quick schedule", which disappoints me because I've done more then enough research and want to just move forward.

Anyone else that has any recommendations for more recent experiences with Medicaid and RNY (Lap) would be appreciated, as it stands, Urbana is almost 3 hours from me and would prefer closer!

Thanks,
Heather

 Heather

You may want to check out this link about surgeons that accept Medicaid.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/IL/3461375/MEDICAID-AND-MEDICARE-SURGEONS-LIST/

It is at the top of the Illinois forum page.  

I already did, as mentioned above, all except Dr. Oliphant no longer accept IPA. The thread is old / outdated.

Thanks though.

I was going to suggest the sticky post at the top of the forum but others already did. Good luck.

That was the first thing I did when I came to this forum....I called every number lsited in that Sticky, none of them are accurate anymore.

Hence why I made this thread.....

Dr. Dong Kim
400 N Wall St # 410
Kankakee, IL 60901
  (815) 933-2221‎

I had lap. RNY on Jan 19 2009, with IDPA. I was working with this office for two years and the intake ladies (no longer working there) said that he will no longer be accepting IDPA as of 2009, I was approved in Dec.2008 and had no openings for surgery til Jan., so I don't know if he still is or not, so give a call and good luck

Springfield IL, but is only the open RYN, I had it with no problem and I didn't have to do a 2 week liquid diet.