Pro Bono Surgery????

Okay, I have hit every road block there is and have not been successful with my insurance company.  If you have read any of my other posts, you will understand why.  Anyway, does anyone know of surgeons that do pro bono surgeries for WLS?  Before anyone asks, my insurance company is UHC with two (2) obesity exclusions.  Yea, I feel screwed!!!  I have been reading everyone's posts and decided to post again.  I live in Iowa but my bariatric surgeon is in Nebraska, Dr. Athone.  He wanted to remove my pannis but my insurance company denied 3 times due to they think it is a cosmetic procedure.  I then submitted paperwork to University of Iowa (they are a teaching hospital) and they won't even consider the WLS since they called my insurance company and found out it is denied.  What is a person to do?

I get this question all the time (I am a nurse for a bariatric surgeon).  What patients do not understand is even if the surgeon would donate his or her time, it does not cover the hospital's costs or liability.  So yeah, sure a surgeon will tell you yes, but it will never happen because the hospital will never approve. So the surgeon gets to come back to you and say "I would if I could but the hospital will not let me, blah blah blah" My recommendation when you have an exclusion is this....get the money and pay cash. I fought our BCBSTX exclusion then gave up and paid cash and went to Mexico for my bypass. We can barely pay our bills most months, we are not wealthy in anyway. We refinanced our home and used the equity. I also took out a loan for the rest. Then I tried to get BCBSTX to pay for my panni without any luck. SO now I am saving for that. I do not have control over which policy my hubby's job buys. At least I have insurance if I get sick or my kids do, so many other people out there have nothing. You will not win an exclusion, sorry, but that's the truth. I wish you the best of luck! Bonnie RNY 6/3/05 264/154

If it has to be removed he needs to explain why it's reconstructive surgery and not cosmetic, ie rashes, problems with moving etc..

He did try to explain all of that to the Insurance company and my insurance company would not budge.  He wanted to remove the pannis because he felt it would be safer for me in the long run before having the gastric bypass surgery.  I am 38 years old and weigh appr 447 pounds with a BMI of 72.  We tried to explain to my insurance company that they would be paying more in the future for my health if other conditions arise from the obesity.  Through all 3 appeals, they would not budge.  I even sent pictures of rashes and smells.