Healthcare reform and bariatric surgery

Does anyone know if the healthcare reforms about to take place will have any impact on whether an insurance company can exclude bariatric surgery?  My insurance excludes it right now, but they sent out an email stating that they have to cover dependant children until they are 26 or 27 becuase of the changes, and also that they have to remove the lifetime cap.  More changes are to come and I just wondered if anyone had heard whether they could still exclude bariatric surgery?  I did email them and ask, but they were very vague and pretty much did not answer my question.  Probably just wishful thinking, but it would be nice if they could no longer exclude the surgery.

 
There is no mandate for such coverage now in HCR.  Some of these mandatory requirements may come from the state.  Personally, I hope not though.  Mandatory bariatric coverage will knock the coverage of many plans much much higher than they currently are.  Thats the reason for the exclusion -- cost!

Mz. Scarlett.... I agree with almost everything you said, except for the fact the part about the insurance having nothing to do with weight loss surgery being a written exclusion but rather an employer issue.   I have been battling with my insurance for EIGHT YEARS NOW!!  My employer is onboard and has done EVERYTHING possible to try to have coverage for WLS included in our policy.   In battling this, we have been told our insurance company does indeed have a package for bariatric surgery/treatment that is available at an extra cost.  However, it is available only to employers with 50+ employees.   There is nothing in place for those small employers, like single physician offices, etc.  We have tried every route possible to try to get this over-turned with no luck.  If you have information that would help me force this insurance company to provide the same options at a cost for us, I would definitely love to hear from you.  With that being said....I too am hoping and praying for the single-payer program in Oregon!

 

 Faithgirl, it's not insurance companies that exclude WLS, it is the employer! An insurance company will sell a company any policy it wants, as long as they're willing to pay for it.  That's why it is usually the employees of larger companies, government employers or members of  well-funded unions that offer insurance where WLS is an option. Smaller companies just can't afford those type of policies!


Since the U.S seems to be moving towards a single-payer system, I predict in the future (like ten plus years out) everyone may be eligible for WLS, but the parameters in which you can receive it will be very narrow. The government will not be able to afford to give WLS surgery to everyone who wants it, as they're only so many doctors in the U.S and only so many surgeries that can be performed. They will have to narrow the parameters to something like your BMI must be over 45, and you have to be between the ages of 18-55 to be eligible for coverage. It will be the only way to keep cost and wait times down. (I'm just making these numbers up and using them as an example)

I know some of our Canadian neighbours have spoken about how it works in Canada, (very long waiting lists (sometimes years long) and narrower parameters to make you eligible) and I can't see the US system we're moving towards being any different.