help?

Can anyone tell me which blue cross blue shield plan covers the lap band? Also are there any other insurances in NC that definately do. I do not have the money and need to find a health insurance I can purchase out of pocket to pay for it. Also does anyone know if you have to wait any certain length of time once you enroll with the insurance before it will pay?

I don't know the answer but you can click on "Insurers" in the left hand column on this page and look up all the BCBS that others have posted about. You can also ask BCBS directly. The person handling the insurance for my surgeon was very knowledgeable about which companies were 'easy to get approved' and which ones didn't cover it or were harder to get approval. Maybe your office can provide the same info. Good luck!

Typically individual plans do not cover WLS/Lap Band.....it is not a standard benefit in the Carolinas (meaning NC/SC does not have laws saying the insurance company has to cover it as some other states do) so employers have to elect to have the benefit on their plan. As for enrolling before an insurance company will pay... depends if you had a break in coverage and if the policy as a pre-exisitng. If you have had no break in prior coverage and no pre-exisiting then there should be no waiting period... all depends on what prior coverage (and breaks in coverage) you had before.

BCBS NC now covers the lap-band. If you are getting an individual policy you just need to make sure that you have the coverage for bariatric surgery or coverage for the ICD-9 code of 278.01 which is morbid obesity. That is how things are submitted and that will make or break your claims. As a general all the big players cover the band: UHC, Aetna, Cigna. BCBS SC I don't think covers it..... Good Luck!!!!