Medicare Help!!!

Has anyone tried using Medicare to help pay for Lap. Gastric Bypass Surgery from Dr. Gorospe or anyone else this year? I heard a rumor that Medicare will not cover it as of last January. My mouth just dropped when I heard this because I am eligible for Medicare this September.

I HAVE LEARNED NOT TO GO WITH RUMORS! I HAVE BC/BS OF MN AND MINE IS A COVERED PROCEDURE, DON'T KNOW FOR HOW LONG. I AM ALSO USING DR. GOROSPE ON 8-16-04. DR. G. DOES ACCEPT MEDICARE AS FAR AS I KNOW. HAVE YOU GONE TO THE 4 HOUR APPT. WITH THE DOC. YET? JACQUE

Yes I did go to that appt (and loved every minute) while trying to use bcbs of ok Sept of last year. Since bcbs has written exclusion I was denied. Now I am waiting for Medicare to kick in this Sept and try again with them. When I called I was told that Medicare will no longer approve for the surgery as of January 2004. I thought that it was crazy and somewhat hard to believe. But I'm not really worried. I am certian Medicare will approve because my disability is the biggest comorbility affected by my weight

SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A PLAN!!! THAT IS GREAT... I DON'T THINK I WOULD HAVE GOTTEN MY APPROVAL IF I HADN'T PUSHED THEM. GOOD LUCK, I KNOW GOOD THINGS WILL COME YOUR WAY!!! Jacque

Hi, I am on medicare and about to have surgery on the 27th of this month. All it means is that you have to have an open surgery or you will have to wait until January. The reason that medicare does not pay for lap is becaus it costs so much more than a open procedure. Janette

I wanted to do lap also, but not knowing for sure if medicare will kick in for coverage of it in January I decided to go with the open and Dr. Pearce in Edmond. After talking to the doc's last nite at the seminar I realized that this was the way to go for me instead of waiting to see if maybe medicare will approve it in jan 05.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20040716_455.html You should read this.