Recent Posts
on 4/2/14 2:44 am - Margate, FL
I'm sorry you're having such a hard time getting help with insurance. However the aide's comments to you were incorrect. Medicaid is a state funded program that doesn't discriminate. Unfortunately there are criterias that must be meet with either Medicaid or ObamaCare & race isn't one of them. I'd contact a supervisor bcuz the aide gave inaccurate information maybe he/she was wrong with your case. I wish you luck on your journey
Check out the exciting announcement of the first six speakers for our ObesityHelp National Conference 2014. We have a great lineup already with more speakers to be added - including our Key Note speaker that you will LOVE!
I have been without insurance for the better part of a decade, relying mostly on free health care provided by donations and volunteers. I worked for 7 years at a financial firm in Nashville Tennessee and in that time, they did not offer me health insurance one time because in part I was a full time temporary. And being overweight I couldnt afford the High Risk insurance in Tennessee because it was $600 a month for me for being overweight.
Once Obamacare was hinted at, I was like FINALLY I will have insurance. Well.... No such luck. I applied with the state of Ohio which I currently now live and have lived for 3 years. I dont have a job or a way to get to a job now. Being that my fiance uses the only car we have to get back and forth to work every day that is an hour to and from. I applied for Medicaid and The reply from the state was "Even though Miss. Smith, you do qualify for Ohio Medicaid, we are denying your application. When I contacted the office. They said come in and talk with us and we will see what we can do for you.
I get there and the aide that was helping me asked, very simple questions, 1. Are you pregnant (No I cant have kids) 2. Are you an unwed mother (Again no, I cant have kids) 3. Do you have a job making below poverty level wages (No, I have no way of getting to and from a job so I make no money and am under the poverty level) 4. Are you of African American or Latino descent (No Im Caucasian).
They said because I answered no to every question, that I was being denied because the government deemed me non sufficiently eligible. I even gave them past health records to show the need for the help. I have PCOS (Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome) High Blood Pressure, Asthma, High Cholesterol, and had a mini Stroke. Which I require very expensive medications every month and I need help getting them.
The exact words next literally made my jaw hit the floor, they aide, pulled me to the side and said and I quote "If you were black or mexican you would have health care no problem"
I was floored by this comment.
I cant get medicaid, I cant afford Obamacare. Even the cheapest plan is out of my price range of $349 a month. and thats the basic plan that only covers Medicine, Office visits and thats pretty much it.
I give up, I will never be able to get weight loss surgery to save my life. I walk every day. I eat right and they weight wont come off. I need help and insurance. But, the government doesnt care about me. I dont even matter enough to be counted as in the poverty level and get assistance.
I'm going to die because I cant get help from the so called President that says he is helping everyone.
Sorry for the rant, Im tired of being tired and sick. And when I seek help, I just get a cold shoulder.
on 3/31/14 11:30 am - Margate, FL
Congratulations on getting approved & much success on your revision
The Early Bird Ticket discount ends today for our OH National Conference on August 15-16, 2014. We hope to see you there with us! 
I was approved for Lapband in 2008 when I had BCBS PPO plan. Fast forward to 2014....in January I changed insurance to AvMed and due to not having success with the band I asked my doctor to submit a request for a band removal and revision surgery for the gastric sleeve. That was in February and honestly I didn't have any hopes of them approving it. In March I was advised that they approved both surgeries! The only thing I had to do was go to another nutritionist visit and of course get bloodwork. Surgery is scheduled for April 24th.
I also know someone who AvMed approved their band removal and revision to sleeve after they were a self pay for the band. I'm not a representative of AvMed nor have I had them long enough to make a decision on how I like them as a whole. I do know that I'm happy with the approval for revision.
I brought in my ins requirements and listed them for the doctor. Made sure that I got the letter clearing and recommending me for wls. I went to a dietician once a month and we went over diet and excersize log, but I could have just had the doctor put it down in the notes along with a copy of my diet (wrote everything down with dAiley calorie intake) and excersize candy made sure they also kept a copy in the records. My ins required 5 years of weight from a doc office, just gave the ins vitals one visit a year and it worked.
Do you know....
- ObesityHelp has hosted 67 conferences
- ObesityHelp held the first conference focused on bariatrics
- There are only TWO DAYs left to buy your Early Bird Tickets
We hope to see you at the OH National Conference 2014!
I am currently in the process of trying to get information from my insurance company and this is not an easy task, dealing with them. I have Coventry One, Carelink Tier 1. The problem I am having is finding an approved provider. I go on their website and there are Bariatric Surgeons listed, but when I call they tell me the only one approved is a state away;. I just don't get it. Bariatric surgery isn't possible for me at all if this is true, as it is a 4 hour drive for me. Has anyone had any experiences with Coventry One, specifically the Carelink Tier 1? I'm thankful for coverage, but it won't help me if I have to travel that far.
Hockeymom87 · 0 replies · 653 views
