UPRR Highmark BCBS Insurance

Hello, this is my first post to this forum. I'm wondering if anyone has Union Pacific RR's Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield innsurance and what your experience has been with them in obtaining approval for surgery.  Also, if you happen to have UPRR's United Healthcare insurance and how they have been about approving surgery.  I had a lap RNY in Nov 2001, that wasn't successful at all. I never have had any symptom of the surgery other than some scars from the incisions.  I've never dumped, never had feelings of fullness, never gotten sick from overeating, and I still had heartburn and hunger after my surgery. I lost weight initially while I was still on the liquid/pureed stages of the post-op eating. Once I went to solid foods I completely stopped losing weight. Since then, of course I've gained it back with interest.  When I met with Dr. Forney, he informed me that my post op experiences weren't what they should have been and suggested that my RNY wasn't done correctly. He ordered an upper GI and said my stomach was so large that he didn't believe it was possible that it had actually been reduced to the size it should have been - in fact he felt it was large enough to do a revision and do a lap-band over the bypass. I'm in the process of getting everything together once again to go through the insurance approval process. Right now I'm doing yet another dietitian supervised diet as I understand BCBS requires the supervised diet to be within 2 years or something like that of the surgery and I hadn't done a supervised diet since my many attempts prior to my bypass. Anyway, just wondering if there's any other railroader wives out there who have experience with the railroad's insurance? Anyone with experience getting approval for revisions from RNY to lap-band (band over bypass)? Or anyone with any suggestions on how to push this through to an approval? Thanks, Michelley

Hi Michelley, welcome to the group. I know that there are people who have railroad insurance who can help you. You can also call the company and ask them. You might also ask what criteria you need to get approved. Good luck. Mona

Thanks for the welcome. I've heard a lot about you at the NP support group.  I've talked to some people with railroad insurance. I don't know anyone who has had a revision from bypass to lap band nor the revision with railroad insurance. I've called for requirements - not that I understand half of what's on there! Michelle