Hey Crys They are both great doc's from what I have heard. I have a lot of friends/family that work @ Via-Christi (I work there too). I know someone who had been to Dr. Dort personally and someone who worked with him, so I picked him. I had my appt with him last week and he was awesome. I have never met Dr. Lancaster, so I really don't know about him. I know both surgeons will do your surgery together, you just pick one or the other to do your consults with. Donna

I hear both are great, is there anyone willing to offer up info on them? I was asked which one I wanted to do my RNY and I don't know for sure..........

Your right. Why not? Why can't we march on the statehouse lawn? It is hard to put yourself out for public scrutiny though. Esepcially when there is so much of that "fat lazy bast**d mentality" that we have to fight. One should have protection if they speak up against their employer, and the employer comes out against them. Then they can be sued for retaliation. BTW, I am thinking about trying to go to law school now, not just because of this, but it helps motivate me even more.

Do you think instead of a lawsuit against BCBS or other insurance companies, maybe the lawsuit should be against the company that wants the exclusion? I think the mistake is going after the insurance companies, because there are a growing number of insurance companies that seem to want the coverage, but because of cost individual companies or the state in my case choose to write in the exclusion. If the insurance companies could make more money by charging more for premiums to add coverage for surgery they would do it in a heart beat. So I say a lawsuit against the company who has written in the exclusion has a better chance of being successful. Bottom line is the exclusion is discriminatory in nature, WLS is really the only lasting proven method to fight obesity which most doctors now agree is a disease and an epidemic. If chemo is the treatment for cancer, a cast the treatment for a broken bone, sugery and removal a treatment for a apendicitis, etc. etc. then why isn't our treatment being covered? It would be different if the companies offered multiple plans to chose from where at least one plan offered coverage of the surgery, even if more expensive, but they flatly exclude coverage whatsoever. I think it's illegal to deny a proven treatment method for any disease. Isn't the reason we have health insurance to provide coverage for us when we are ill? The culture of exclusion seems embedded even in our state house. I have contacted local legislators numerous times to get this coverage introduced, but the reception is never faired well. There is some good news is that after the healthcare intiatives and anti-obesity programs introduced this year, they are going to "study" the results and give recommendations to the Governor's obesity comission. We can only hope that this on the comission see that the simple eat better and excersize more preaching isn'[t doing any good and they have to do alot more to combat obesity and they might actually have to look at proven treatment methods. Just my 2 cents. It's a long hard road, but we are never going to get anywhere unless someone in this state works it through to the end. Too bad I don't have the money for the fight either. You would think the obesity action network would be more involved.

I live in Andover and would love to attend a support group meeting! Please let me know when you meet again. Jill Harries e-mail address- [email protected]