How far in advance can you schedule?

Hi everyone,

FINALLY, I have an insurance plan that covers all WLS including DS. However, I just started my job last month so I am not eligible under FMLA until February 2013. Also, my company pays 90% of my paycheck for weeks 1-13 of FMLA leave then 80% after that.

While I'm anxious to FINALLY get a DS after all these years of waiting, I suspect it is probably best for me to wait until I am not only FMLA eligible but eligible for the company benefit of paid medical leave. I will soon have 13 days of paid time off, but I'm not sure if 13 days paid time off is sufficient enough to recover from a DS?

I have had health issues but nothing really urgent enough to put my job position at risk and also not have paid medical leave. It took me a while to find this job and I love it plus we have great benefits.

So, how far in advance will doctors schedule surgery and insurance companies approve? Anyone been in a similar situation before? I am hoping to use Dr. Inman in Indiana but can access Ohio or Michigan DS surgeons if need be.

Thanks!

Stephanie

Good question for your insurance company but I've heard once you're approved, you have a year from that date to get the surgery done. You definitely don't want to jeopardize your job bay taking too much leave too soon. It took me about 2 weeks to recover enough to go back 1/2 days to a desk job. By the next week I was back to full days. My surgery was done laporascopically not open. I think Inman does it open. Something to check on.

--gina
 

 FMLA only guarantees your job position is secure.  Look into what Short-term disability  covers,  and how soon.  My insurance company held an approval for 6 mos.

On March 24, 2012 at 6:50 PM Pacific Time, Valerie G. wrote:  FMLA only guarantees your job position is secure.  Look into what Short-term disability  covers,  and how soon.  My insurance company held an approval for 6 mos. My company as a benefit also pays most of the salary during the first six months of approved FMLA leave; then a long-term disability plan they provide pays part of the salary thereafter. I purchased the buy-up long-term disability that would pay almost all my salary if I became disabled because it was only $6 a month and you never know. In this economy, it took me long enough to get a good job so I'm trying to be financially smart.

Stephanie

 Oh, you're definitely approaching this smartly.  What you are describing the first six months sounds a lot like short-term disability, and if it's a company paid benefit, even better, because it's not cheap.  I just wanted to bring that up as an option if you're paying into it and may not have looked into it.  

Believe me, I've looked into every benefit we have without being obvious as to why I'm looking. I still can't believe how good the benefits are, or the fact that I got great health insurance 30 days after my job start date. It makes up for the not-so-great hourly pay!

Stephanie

You are very smart to wait. It sounds like you have a good job with good benefits. I know I'm very thankful that I had been at my job for a long time because I had a very, very rough recovery. It actually took me 6 months to recover. Thank god my employer is great and really worked with me. I went back after 3 weeks but was able to do half days with vacations and work from home.

I'm just keeping it real, not trying to scare you. Some people have great recoveries and some people take alot longer. You will see this if you read through some posts on here.

Good luck to you!

Thanks. I had emergency gallbladder surgery as well as pancreatitis from the gallstones last year and I felt really out of it for at least a month afterward, and the surgery was lap and rather uneventful. I was self-employed at the time (I am a writer, so I have to be able to think well to work) and wound up not being able to work for weeks. If I felt that poorly after gallbladder surgery, I suspect I will feel even worse after a major operation such as DS so I'm a bit afraid to take chances with my job.

Stephanie