Vocational rehab?

I have heard of voc. rehab. paying for someone to have surgery but I need to know what the criteria are to qualify and how you went about getting approved. Can anyone help with this info? I'm sure it varies by state but maybe I can reference one state paying for it to help with the request. If anyone has info. Please let me know. Dannielle

Hi Dannielle~ Vocational Rehabilitation Services did pay for my surgery and all of the testing. (Thank GOD) Their main focus is to help people with disabilities get back to work. Since obesity is now considered a disability, they will help you. They do have a certain income requirement. I'm not sure how much but if you make too much, you will not qualify. It varies in different states. If you do work but don't make much, they can still help but you might have to pay the anastesiology bill. They didn't ask me for a medical history but my friend had to show a 3 year history to VR. I had to get a written statement from my PCP stating that WLS was medically nessessary. I also had to fill out an application explaining how obesity was effecting my everyday life and my work performance. I called there, asked to speak to a case worker and then asked the case worker if I can make an appointment for their services. At the first appointment they talk to you about your weight and you have to be honest about how its effecting you. They get very personal. Then they sumit your application and if you qualify, they will call you back. They called me back that same day and said they would help me. The hardest part was finding a surgeon that accepts VR as payment. Other than that, they were super nice to me and was very willing to help me. It was truly a blessing! They will also help you find jobs and go back to school. I have an appointment next week to talk about getting back to work and go to school. If you have any questions, feel free to email me @ [email protected] Good Luck Kay