Thanks for your good wishes...but...

Thanks for your good wishes regarding WLS, but I won't be having it after all. I am in the middle of a divorce, & if I had the operation, I couldn't get covered with other insurance for 5, yes, 5 years!!! So I have no choice but to cancel the operation. I do so appreciate your words of encouragement. You are a great bunch on this message board, & Dr. S is the best!! I would heartedly recommend him & his very professional,medical program to anyone--just wish I could have experienced it! SLusby

Well Shirley all I can say is sorry. on all accounts. I understand divorce, but why would you not be able to be covered by insurance for 5 years.

I'm curious to know why you would not be covered too. If your employer has open enrollment, I think they have to insure you once that open enrollment rolls around. Unless your insured through your husband, but he would still have to cover you for so long I think after the divorce if you do not already have insurance.

To answer your question----All I know is that two insurers would not touch me, saying I would be placed in a high risk group costing $1800 per month!!! I don't know who can afford that monthly. They claimed WLS has too many possible complications following surgery that they don't insure people for up to 5 yr. following the operation. Tbose are their rules which I cannot contest because I need insurance. SLusby

Shirley I too am confused. If you are married you are still covered until the divorce is final. When I worked, been out of the field for four years, the state of Kentucky has no pre-exhisting clause. You have to be covered. Now if you are just checking into buying private insurance on your own then that would make sence. But if you are still married I don't know why you have to give up your date. None of my business, but I am so sorry. Good things still can happen. You hang in there. All my prayers, Jane

i think i am reading this right .... if shirley goes ahead right now and has the surgery under her hubbies ins. then when she is divorced no other ins will pick her up for five years. Did i understand you correctly shirley? if you are working i would think the employers ins would cover you. but i am not an expert and no i did not stay at a holiday inn express last night either

Under the federal COBRA law, your (ex) husband's employer MUST insure you for 18 months after the divorce. You will have the pay the premiums to his employer, but the insurance company has to give you the same rates that it give others in his company. The is a FEDERAL law and the employer cannot refuse you this right.

I am a 62 yr old woman who is not employed. My husband's insurance is Tri-care which is retired military. I assume that as soon as a divorce is final, my right to use his insurance is null and void. Therefore, I am on my own to find insurance, & the best I have been able to do is the scenario I metioned which is to cancel surgery. Shirley

I am on the confused wagon as well. I can not help but think there is a BIF misunderstanding. If one insurance company thought the risk was to high, then surely they all would. When you begin a new job and they offer you insurance, you are not underwritten at that time, because the premium the company pays is rated based on the health risk of all employees. This is why we have increases in our health insurance through work. Even the super healthy ones get an increase, because the they do not increase just theones that have made them pay out more medical expense, the company spreads the cost over the entire group. What about the risk the insurance company is taking by allowing co-morbities to continue to harm the health of a insured. You may need to check into the situation a little more. I wish you the best of luck. Miranda Austin

Miranda, I guess I am having difficulty because I am 62 & retired. I am not currently working at a full time job so I do not have access to an employer's insurance policy. I am out here on my own trying to get covered. ..........SLusby