BMI too high for LapBand?

Has anyone had to fight insurance to get coverage for LapBand surgery.  My insurance says if your BMI is over 50 they will only cover the RNY and not LapBand.  Does anyone have advice on how to fight them and have them cover the LapBand?

the first surgeon I approached had this restriction, they wouldn't even let me attend the seminar because of a BMI of 65 and he only did lap-band.... after I attended my surgeon's seminar, he explained that a) it's very hard to perform laproscopic surgery on someone with a high BMI and/or alot of belly fat..... b) that with the amount of weight I needed to lose, my medical problems and my low will power, RNY would be a better choice for me.... So I went with open RNY and I don't regret it at all!

I am not trying to tell you what to do because the type of WLS is a very individual decision, but please seriously consider a predure that offers both a malabsorptive and restrictive component, such as RNY or DS.  I honestly beleive they are the best option for SMO individuals like me.

The lapband is usually for those who are considered lightweights in our OH community. People who have a BMI of 35-45 or 50. My BMI is 74 and my doctor who does all 3 surgeries says that the DS is much better for those of us with a high BMI. My doctor does all 3 lap. I started out wanting the lapband myself, but after I heard about the other surgeries I decided on the DS because it is faster and has a higher weight loss average.  I am not saying you cannot get the lapband through your insurance, but if you do not get a surgeon who agrees then you will not be able to get it. I think I would talk to the surgeon or your PCP and see what they have to say.

In my opinion, the lap band is not meant for SMO people.  WHY?   Because statistically a person who has the lap band on average will only lose about 50 percent of their excess body weight.  If you are 200 lbs overweight that means when your done with all the losing on average you will have lost only 100 lbs of that weight.   My surgeon who has a large lap band practice (he performs all 3 surgeries) told me that the lap band wouldn't be for me, it wouldn't help me lose the weight I wanted to lose;  and he suggested the DS.    It's just under 15 months since my surery last Feb (2006) and I have lost 91 percent of my excess weight, and am down to 215 lbs from 472 lbs the day of surgery.  Scott

I didn't have to fight for the lapband. With a BMI of over 70 at the time of surgery and MANY SEVERE health problems, Lapband was all my dr would do on me. I can say I just had to go with his decision or start all over with a new dr.

My doctor wont do lapband on anyone with a BMI over 50. So, I will have to lost a little bit of weight before surgery because my BMI is 51.