can i get free surgery australia if its medically needed.

i have been looking online and i can not find the answer anywhere , I know medicare does not cover it and so on, but really if u need it ad the docs belive u need it is their any way to get it free?

wow kinda disapointed in this forum...  not 1 reply, think i would be better off taking my self to another forum where people are....

Hi Brele.

 

I know in the hospital where i work it is possible to have Lap Band surgery covered by medicre but the waiting is is HUGE and it is not classified as urgent so people are often on the waiting list for years.

I do not know about other WLS tyoes sorry

Hi there, my lapband (2009) was covered under medicare but that's because my BMI at the time was 52, putting me into the super-morbidly obese category. Even being classed as 'life-threatening' I still had to wait a year for surgery, aftercare was terrible and I'm now having a revision (with private health insurance) within the next few months. Trust me, paying for the private insurance and waiting the one year is worth it. I've had nothing but trouble with the band. At least privately you have the choice of what surgery is right for you, rather than what your hospital/surgeon wants to perform. (WA only does lapbands under medicare). Hope that helps. :)