Where to start with Medical Card

Hello everyone, I have been reading your messages and you all sound so supportive of each other. I have a medical card and would like to have gastric bypass. I know there are a bunch of rules and such. So where do I start. I am totally in the dark. Thanks.

Hello there my name is sandy and I have medicaid and I called Dr. Allen in nortons and they told me what I needed to do first to be able to get to see the doctor...Call 1-800-872-8033, and tell them what you want to have done...There are more doctor done for yourself....

Hi Angela. First you need to make sure your family doctor is in agreement with the surgery because he or she will have to send the surgeon a referral for you to be seen. You need to find a surgeon who accepts Medicaid. I had mine done at Nortons in Louisville, but there are more doctors who accept Medicaid. Click on insurers on the yellow bar across the top of the page, then click on Ky...and scroll down to medicaid patients and it will tell you names of surgeons who accept medicaid. Once you choose a surgeon, call their office and they will schedule you a consultation meeting to go over the types of surgeries and what best suits your needs. Make sure you have your doctor fill out a referral paper so Medicaid will cover the visit. Medicaid requires a nutrtionalist evaluation, a psychiatric evaluatiuon, and depending on your weight you may have to have other comorbidities such as high cholestrol, high blood pressure, anxiety, diabetes....things of that nature that are caused from the weight. I had to go through a whole round of blood work and Xrays of my heart, lungs and liver. It seems like different surgerons request different tests, but those are the ones I had to have done. I hope this helps you. Rosanna

Thanks for your input everyone. My doctor is in agreement that I need the surgery and he will not have a problem writing the referal. I live a couple of hours from Louisville or Nashville and three or so from Lexington so I hope that I can get a lot of the test and things done here at home instead of driving back and forth a lot. My BMI is 44, and I have high blood pressure, depression, anxiety attacks, and arthritis. So I think physically I should not have a problem getting approved. Also, I have heard a couple of things about making me do another weight loss program and exercise before they will approve the surgery. Does anyone know anything about that?

Hello I do not know how close you are to Paducah if its any closer or not but I had Dr Alex Argotte in at Lourdes. Also you haft to remember if any thing goes wrong with you any kind of problems due to WLS no other dr will treat you.B/C of it . You will haft to go back to the hosp were you had it done at. That can be probles trust me on this I have been thier. Cause a hosp refusd to treat me one nite said all they could do by the time they got to me in 3 hrs. Was to transport me to the hosp were I had operation done.Then what sucked even more Dr that was on call for my dr would not come in to see me.I hope all works ot fo you and wish you the best take care hugggs Beth