NH Legislation to Mandate Insurance Coverage for Bariatric Surgery - HB894 - Crucial Vote on...

Hi All, My name is Grant Sanborn and I'm in the public affairs/marketing department at Portsmouth Regional Hospital and Parkland Medical Center.  In case you're wondering, the NH Medical and Surgical Weight Loss Center is a partnership between the above hospitals that features the surgical team of Dr.s Gens, Looser and Paciulli.   I've been following this NH message board for some time now, reading about your personal journeys and seeing all of the support you provide one another.  I wanted to introduce myself to let you know that you can use me as an information resource/sounding board on OH.com if/when you feel it's appropriate.   Working in a hospital setting has really given me the chance to appreciate the challenges of dealing with obesity and learning how lives can be so postively changed through the most appropriate support and programs.  Today I also wanted to call your attention to an upcoming vote in Concord that could use your insight and input.  HB 894, which would mandate insurance coverage of Bariatric Surgery for diabetics, will be voted on by the House Commerce Committee on October 30, 2007.  In order to move this bill forward , more votes on the Commerce Committee will be needed.  Your voices could mean a lot in the effort to mandate coverate for many individuals in the state. Here's an update on the bill:  On October 18th, the House Commerce Committee’s subcommittee charged with making a recommendation on HB 894 spent almost three hours debating how to best amend the bill to secure a favorable recommendation for passage. There was testimony in favor of moving the bill forward from several people, including Dr. Gens.  At the end of the meeting, three of the five subcommittee members present unanimously agreed to draft an amendment to the bill and recommend it for passage for a full committee vote (the amendment deals with specific requirements regarding reimbursement). Listed below are the members of the House Commerce Committee who need to be contacted before October 30th and asked to support the Subcommittee Recommendation on HB 894: Stephen T. DeStefano 7 Sharon Drive Bow, NH   03304-4325 Phone: (603)224-2641 email: [email protected] Paul McEachern 282 Corporate Drive Portsmouth, NH   03801-2849 Phone: (603)431-6653 email: [email protected] Edward A. Butler Notchland Inn Rte 302 Harts Location, NH   03812 Phone: (603)374-6131 email: [email protected] Matthew S. Houde P.O. Box 66 Meriden, NH   03770-0066 Phone: (603)504-2744 email: [email protected] Robert F. Matheson PO Box 252 North Woodstock, NH   03262-0252 Phone: (603)745-6155 email: [email protected] Joel F. Winters PO Box 135 Nashua, NH   03061-0135 Phone: (603)624-5635 John B. Hunt 165 Sunridge Road Rindge, NH   03461-5478 Phone: (603)899-6000 email: [email protected] Ronald J. Belanger PO Box 415 Salem, NH   03079-0415 Phone: (603)893-0659 email: [email protected] James R. Martin PO Box 537 Sanbornville, NH   03872-0537 Phone: (603)522-3969 email: [email protected] Stephen T. Pelkey PO Box 202 Jaffrey, NH   03452-0202 Phone: (603)532-6911 email: [email protected] In case you're interested, here's a link to the original bill: http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2007/hb0894.html Apologies for the long first email, but I thought this was important information to get to you. I appreciate your time and consideration. Thanks and best regards, Grant

Hi Grant, I'm just curious on what happened with this? Did they vote on it and if so is it a mandate now for the insurance companies? They should just mandate WLS for all who has a  medically neccessity, no matter what it is.

Hi Diane, Thanks for repsonding.  Please see the post I just put up about results of the vote. They weren't favorable. Regards, Grant