Plastic Surgery

Hi, I don't look to be having the gastric bypass any time soon. What I need more right now is having a breast reduction and stomach tuck. I don't consider it plastic surgery when both are causing so much pain in my back, and constant infections. I have medicare A & B/TN Medicade. When I called Medicare today, I couldn't connect with the right department. But one customer service guy said they don't cover plastic surgery. It's already been documented in my file of the problem. The Nystop powder for the yeast infections under my stomach and breasts is no longer helping. It starts going away and then breaks out again. Now I have to take these pills, for 7 days. If it is medically necessary, shouldn't the insurance cover this? Has anyone had plastic surgery with my insurance? If so please let me know. I live on Social Security so out of pocket expenses are out of the question. HELP> Kathy

Hi Kathy.. I just joined today. Even though I bill insurance for a living--I dont have any real help on the Medicare issue--but you might try their website, Cigna and Palmetto have the best search engines. Government ins programs are notoriously bad when it comes to personalized service. Perhaps you can see if they have any case managers, medical directors or social workers you can talk with. The big trick is the wording..always call it therapeutic surgery. A therapeutic breast reduction, a therapeutic skin removal (not a tummy tuck). Government ins plans have a limited budget and have to make decisions based on what is therapeutically critical to a person's health and welfare. They wont see a tummy tuck as important. But I do have some really good advice on the yeast issues. I am diabetic and almost 400 pounds so i have areas that never see daylight. Drink something with lemon in it like tea or Crystal Lite Lemonaide and squeeze real lemon in it-- creates a less favorable environment for yeast, stay away from yeast rolls, sour dough, dairy products, sugar--all of these feed the fungus. What I have found that keeps me completely fungus free NO MATTER WHAT I EAT--is Extra Medicated Selsun Blue, cornstarch baby powder, and Secret dry solid (it has to do with that PH thing). I use the Selsun Blue ALL OVER instead of soap. I have one of those long soft mesh plastic back scrubbers with the rope handles at each end and i pour it on directly...then I just run that thru all the folds, under my arms and breasts, on the bottom panty line area--and of course I shampoo with it. It can burn a bit if you are really broke out. But when you rinse it off it will feel so much better already. I also use a kitchen spray faucet sized type of handheld shower head. It is very small and concentrates the water flow so it can reach up, in and out of all those folds and small places that normal handheld shower thingys cant because they are so big and round. Once dry, if Im broke out: I use Johnson & Johnsons cornstarch baby powder. After the redness is pretty much gone--I change the routine and use Secret Solid 1st --then the baby powder. I rub Secret on every place my skin rubs together, under the breasts, belly roll--everywhere! If I skip this routine for more than 3 days--wow I am red and hurting and very sorry. The spray on secret and the clear dont work the same and neither do other solids. Even my husband swears by it now. Hope this helps! take care.. Lisa in memphis