I'M SO MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am soooooo mad. I have Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome and about approx. 150lbs overweight. I have several friends that have had WLS and have done wonderful. However, I told myself I would keep trying to lose weight without the surgery. Then when my Endocrinologist officaially diagnosed me with PCOS, he explained to me that it is 4 times harder for me to lose weight than the average person. He also told me there is a chance that I may never lose a significant amount of weight without the surgery. SO, I talked to my Primary Physician and my family and I did ALOT of research on WLS and the different kinds and decided I would have the surgery. I have done so many diets and exercise regimans in the past 17 years and have succeeded in a few only to end up gained what I lost back with a few extra pounds. I talked to the Nurse Practioner at my Dr.'s office and she agreed that I am well informed and would be a good candidate for ther surgery. In fact, My Endo. said I was the perfect candidate due to my health issues. I am able to chang emy insurance in October 2004 and it will take effect in January 2005. I had called the Surgeons office to get their input on which insurance would be best and had decided to switch to MUSC Options. Now I have found out that MUSC Options, Companion HMO, Cigna, Blue Cross/Blue SHield State Plan nor any of my other options will be covering the surgery effective Januray 2005. I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do they not realize that a heartattack, knee replacement surgery and the other medical issues will cost more than the surgery? I don't know what to do. If I go with an outside policy that I purchase on my own, it will be very expensive and they all have a "pre-existing" condition clause. Does ANYONE know how to help me. I am 5'3" and weight 280lbs. I am MORBIDLY Obese and I need help. I am so mad and frustrated and I don't know what to do. Please help me if you can.

You need to call your insurance company- because of your co-morbities and BMI they may still cover it. I have bc/bs of georgia and we have it in our insurance coverage. Get a job at the Home Depot,they have great insurance. Good Luck and God bless. Edie -Beaufort SC

Last option is always self pay and go to Mexico. Its very safe there and much much cheaper if your self paying. My doctor does both RNY and Lapband, he is in Mexico. www.mexicolapband.com Great doctor ( I leave this thur) and 3 of my other friends have already been to him.. one just got back a couple days ago. Total out of pocket for lapband in mexico is only $8200.00 You will never find a surgeron in the States doing it for that cost. I wish you so much luck, my insurance was BCBS to and they told me no also, and it was a losing case to fight them because of the clause. Hugs, Best of luck!

Patti, Just wanted you to know that I checked with my human resource supervisor at work about MUSC Options covering this surgery and she told me that they DO cover this surgery. In fact, she had just returned from an insurance seminar because our open enrollment is in October. BCBS informed those present that they would NO LONGER be covering this surgery after January/2005, but MUSC Options did not inform her of any such change. She said if changes are to take place, the workforces must be notified first. Soooo, my human resource lady seems to think you were mislead both times you called. Hopefully, this is good news for you and me!! At any rate, she is making a call to MUSC Options to double check on it for me. I'll let you know as soon as I hear from her again. Fingers crossed here and prayers for you!

Bonnie, please let me know if you find something out to the contrary. I called MUSC Options twice and the surgeons office also called and we were told all three times they would not be covering it effective January 2005. I will still change my insurance during open enrollment to MUSC options with the hopes they will cover it. The surgeons office apparantly called the person they deal with directly with insurance and were very surprised to find out MUSC Options would not cover it anymore. Apparantly, they did not make a formal announcement at the seminar because my HR person was surprised as much as we were. I will check again though. It never hurts to check. I'll be anxious to hear what your HR person finds out. Thanks for your reply. Please just keep me in your prayers. I couldn't sleep again last night because of the pain in my knee which is from the arthritis at my ripe old age of 36.

Patti, I checked with the lady in human resource again and she said that she called MUSC Options and was advised that nothing has changed....that they do still cover this surgery. She asked me to let her check one more time to make sure and she will call me and let me know. I will email you when I hear from her again, ok? Fingers still crossed here for both of us! Bonnie

GOOD NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bonnie, I talked to a Rep. from MUSC Options today at our Benefits fair and she gave me a copy of the Benefits for 2005 and the surgery can still be approved if MEDICALLY NECESSARY. WOOHOO!!!!!!!! I told her about all of the wrong information I had been given as well as my HR person and the surgeons office. She apologized and said she would call the Surgeons office and let them know they were given wrong information. She said she talked to the director of insurance this morning before coming out to the Benefits fair and passing out the information and they verified it would be covered. Thank you for helping me through this and for continuing to check for me. I am so happy now. I praise God for this blessing. I kept asking him if MUSC Options would not cover the surgery as well as the other compnaies, then please let me know if I should change insurances or not and if so, which one? He just kept reassuring me that I needed to change to MUSC Options. Now I know why. God is soooooo good. God Bless You!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Patti