Will it be the death of WLS?

All,

As an RN who works in our broken healthcare system....I have one thing to say:

We ALREADY provide care to the non-insured, working poor, illegal aliens and others who have no healthcare insurance nor way to pay for it. It is called the EMERGENCY ROOM. Currently, ALL taxpayers are paying for this care.

Having said this, the ER is NOT a cost effective way to provide this care. Period.
We need to ratify SOME SORT of provision of healthcare that is MORE cost effective and reasonable.

One more thing, medicare is government guaranteed care.

I am not saying the current bill (which...thank you Mary, I am going to print out and read!) is the BEST way to solve our healthcare problem. BUT, we must start somewhere. Our system is broken.

Leah RN

Interjection!
as far as medicaid (state issued) its very rare that they will cover any wls. I have been helping a woman for 3 months to get approval from Oklahoma and their requirements make it next to impossible to be approved.
For me and MY BIG MOUTH..if we approve this new health plan it will be the end of neccassry surgeries being performed. For me if I had lived in Canada, I would still be waiting for my approoval for breast cancer treatment...SO... ASK any Canadian and they can tell you how long it takes  for approval.... I think it sucks when our FREE country is beginning to be a communist state....and look what happened there...
Off the sopa box..thanks Lisa for bringing this up

In Texas it's fairly easy to get approved, or so I hear.

Yes in Texas, you have a REPUBLICAN gov. that has helped GROW jobs and economy in your state in a year when MOST democratic states have the highest  unemployment (California being bankrupt).

I have lived in socialized countries and have seen soo many abuses of those socialized health care systems. In Japan ALL doctors hike up their fees because they see it as "the government will pay." syndrome rather then higher taxes will be leveled against ALL citizens to pay for doctors 'cooking their books'.

I have several friends in Canada that bemoan having to use the 'free' (again they have HIGH HIGH taxes to pay for this 'free' health care, and it only covers PHYSICAL health not eyes, or mental health) government health care and cross the boarder to use OUR health care!

I have been to England with my best friend and her mom who is an English citizen and if you think you can live long enough to get WLS then by all means file for it and then sit and wait it out. They will select WHO you go to, when you go and where it will be done and what you will get done. You have NO choices in England on who your dr is and what treatment will be done. You will get the treatment that the government does. No other alternatives. No wonder my friend's mother came to the states when she was having health issues to use OUR health care.

I do agree with the poster that stated we do need to look at the countries in which their health care IS working and see what is making it work. I believe it's a combination of government SUPPORTED (NOT ran) health care with insurance companies able to offer competitive rates. See the Netherlands and Danish (I believe. I was just reading about them dang it!)

Back to the original posters question. How do I think a government ran (for those opposed to "Obamacare, but he is the one spearheading this, do NOT be deceived) health care system will treat 'elective' surgery? I think you will have to be a productive member of society and in 'reasonably' good health and be paying your high taxes to support the government health system and/or be in an area that votes for the people in current power to get approval. In truth I think it's a pipe dream to think that WLS is going to be allowable under any knew government health care. They will use the excuse "there is still high priced health insurance out there you can get if you want elective surgery."

Actually, France has a MUCH better system of healthcare. I hear Canada used as an example of what not to do.....

We should be looking at the countries that have successfully found a system to provide reasonable and cost effective care to all citizens.

Again, we are ALREADY providing care to everyone. Just not doing it in the best way.

It would have been nice if my insurance had paid but they paid nothing so I was self pay.  I was just thinking about those who have insurance now that will pay now, if this thing passes they will prob be out of luck for getting this surgery.  Anyway while I was at Dr. Walton's today I said something to the ladies at the desk what they thought would happen and they told me that they didn't think it would have much effect to Weight Wise because 9 out of 10 of the patients that have surgery there are self pay.  So if I was someone that had insurance that would pay and was thinking about having the surgery I sure in the heck would get it done fast, before the gov. takes over.  
Lisa

LOL-and if you ARE a self pay, that is now considered a pre-existing condition so you, like me, hope THAT changes.

That said, my wish is that the most people get the basic care benefits, and I'll take my self pay lumps as they come-knowing I'm healthier with the surgery than without. 

I am so afraid that a much needed health care reform will go the way of the stimulus.  What was the real benefit of giving all that money to big business? And what happened to all the road and infrastructure improvement we were supposed to get?  States that were big supporters of Obama have gotten all the money.  Why was it not distributed evenly?

The other thing that is scary is maybe right now, the reform would go the way intended, but just like every other law that has come about, a few years down the road it will get mutated and will become horribly disfigured.  I don't think a sweeping reform is needed.  I think we need a series of small changes that would eventually address everything that needs to be changed because I just don't think they will get it done correctly.  There's too much big business at stake and there's too much greed in Washington for it to be handled in the people's best interest. 

Oklahoma does have a program for working people that would be pretty good, but it does need changes because the coverage is not offered for people with pre-existings or even moderatly obese.  That was a good idea but just not good enough when Oklahoma is one of the highest states for obesity.

I think that his new healthcare will fail like the stimulas package has...I am all for equaluality but it seems as if the equality never happens
case in point my friend lives in sc..on disability he tried for medicaid and was told he makes to much money..he has asked for help and has been denied..time after time but a woman who lives next door lost her job and receives alot in child support was given food stamps and medicaid..hardest part for him is the fact she is Mexican and has not become a citizen..his complaint is simple...she is given help because of the kids and makes more than he does but help is always there for certain class of people versus others...ya think the same will happen with the porgram