New Medicare rules for NC too?
I was reading the main board post an a lady for OK said Medicare had made a last minute change to the rules to say you had to loose a certain percentage of weight prior to your surgery. I have gone to the medicare web site and cannot find out if these "new rules" are in effect for NC too. I hope not as my rny is scheduled for April 8th. Does anyone know anything about this ? or at least how to find out the latest on the rules ? Below is a copy and paste of the post:
Evidentally this month Medicare decided to require patients to lose a certain percentage of your weight prior to surgery. I weighed (past tense) 331 before I started the 10 day diet and they told me March 20 that I needed to lose 18 lbs before surgery (March 31) No problem, I was on a liquid diet and I exercised my fool head off. I went in on Friday before the Monday surgery all excited -----I had lost 14 lbs (in 8 days) and knew I'd lose the other four by Monday. Well, I was wrong. What they didn't tell me was that I needed it all lost by that day since the clinic was not open on Sunday. (I hadn't even thought of that....I figured they'd weight me Monday before surgery) Bottom line is my surgery was postponed until Thursday so I can lose the rest of the weight. I'm there, but no surgery until Thursday. I feel sorry for his other medicare patients who lost less weight then I did and have their surgeries rescheduled for the end of the month. If you have medicare, check NOW with your doctor to see if you must lose additional weight. I just wish I had known a week earlier so I'd have more time to lose it. Fair Warning!!!
If you know anything about this please let me know .
Sandra