Medicaid
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) Division of Medical Assistance (DMA) have the document that appears below: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dma/mpproposed/hcproposed/NCHC-Surgery -for-Morbid-Obesity-45-Day-Comment-09-12-2011.pdf
NC Medicaid used to pay for bariatric surgery and a moratorium was put in place effective July 2010. This document effective, 9/12/2011, is a 45 day comment document, changing the policies under which NC Medicaid would recognize and fund bariatric surgery. According to this document, patients with a BMI over 40 will not require any additional co-morbidities. Section 3.2 tells you in detail what you will need to have or do to qualify for Medicaid coverage of bariatric surgery. Since this is a '45 Day Comment Document', I doubt that it has yet been approved. I also don't know if NC Medicaid is currently funding bariatric surgeries, but from this document it looks like they will be doing so again. If it were me, I would look at what they require in section 3.2 and make sure that I had all of my proverbial 'ducks' in a row so that when it's available you'll be ready.
Wishing you all the best,
Barbara
ObesityHelp Coach and Support Group Leader
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/bcumbo_group/
High-264, Current-148, Goal-145