Please Help!!

Hi all, Last night I went to Dr. Hornbostle's seminar. I was just so excited and really liked Dr. H. What is so depressing is that my insurance won't cover anything for WLS. PLEASE PLEASE I urge EVERYONE even if you've already had WLS to write your elected officials and ask them to support SB97 in the senate and we need to get someone in the house to sponser a bill requiring insurance companies to cover WLS. I know I'm not the only one in this situation, but we need everyone's help so that we can be on the losing side just like the rest of you. Thanks, Casey

Casey, I have already approched my local rep, and will continue to visit with him! I have sent several letters to Senator Days (bill sponser) as well as all on the committee, their email addresses as well as physical addresses are listed on the senate web site. Please keep me informed with any feedback you get, I have file upon file of research to support WLS as far as effectiveness, costs, risks, and so on. I am right there with you, and if we can get ourselves organized I really feel like there is a chance. We can get this done, we deserve a spot on the losing side too!!!! Amy

Hi Amy, So far the only one that has made a response to my letters was the Gov, and it was just referred out to someone else. I have not heard from any of the others including my own representative. I'm going to try and write another letter and mail to each this weekend and we'll see how it goes. I was just hoping we could get people on line to help out. Explain what they went thru before surgery and how life has improved after surgery. I'll be sure and keep you informed. I sooo want to be on the losing side!!!!!!!!!. Casey

Hello casey, my name is kimberly I am usually on the main board but do check in here daily anywho I would like to help in any way I can to get this law passed!!! I to have an exclusion on my insurance for WLS and think it is very unfair!!! Who are they to tell us we cant live a healtheir life.I am waiting now for my phone to ring to hear if they will go ahead and pay for WLS o' by the way I have bcbs of kc,mo I have gone to the seminar in lenexa,ks institute for advanced bariatric surgery have you herd of them? They have a great insurance lady there that is trying to fight my case for me she has herd something from bcbs but she is playing phone tag with them so here I sit waiting I want to cry so bad because im really scared they will say no and I want this so bad I cant pay for this on my own!! I would very much like to be a somebody in the help for other people and myself so please let me know what I can do I have no experience. Thank you for your time look foward to hearing from you . Kimberly

Hi Kimberly, I too have BCBS of KCMO. I have a written exclusion as well. What I found out at the seminar with Dr. Hornbostle on Tuesday night was that if your policy has a "written exclusion" it is pretty much iron clad. That's not to say it still couldn't happen for you. Miracles do happen sometime and I wish everyone luck. Dr. H said it had even been tried in the Court system to no avail. I too am wanting this surgery so that I can continue to work and not have to go on disability. I'm not there yet, but suffer a lot of comorbitities such as high BP, high Chol. depression, sleep apnea, degenerative disk dis. to name a few. Anyway enough of that. What you need to do is find out who your elected officials are. (Representatives, Senator, etc) You can do this by going to www.senate.mo.gov . There will be a place for you to type in your zip code to find your elected officials. There are a few sample letters on OH that you can send asking them to support a bill. There is currently a bill in the senate, SB97 sponsored by Senator Days that would require all insurance companies to provide this coverage. As of yet I have not seen one sponsored for the house. Just ask them to support/sponsor a bill to include this coverage. I have already sent the sample letter from OH, but am mailing a personal one this weekend mentioning how being overweight has affected my life, etc. As of yet, I have only received a response from one person Hope this helps. Casey (I hope I didn't confuse to much. I sort of rambled on.) PS as Amy suggested I'm even writing the senate committe it has been referred to. Hopefully that will get it back on the floor for discussion. Casey