Which insurance covers Bariatric surgery right now - hurry!!!

I'm making a case for my HR department to switch health insurers for next year and need to know who actually does cover it. We currently have Anthem BC/BS and they are giving me the runaround, blaming it on my employer, but I think they don't cover it at all for anyone.

They are right it is up to the employer as to what they put in the policy. That is why two people with the same insurance company but who work for different companies can have difference policies. Think of it this way we can all have All State for auto insurance but each of us put what we want in to wach of our policies.  SO you need to get you company to put WLS into their policy no matter what carrier they go with.  Good Luck, Robin

What Anthem is telling you is probably correct.  I asy this for 2 reasons: 1) I know someone in Michigan who got her surgery covered through them, so it is NOT an Anthem BC/BS policy to exclude WLS, and 2) my Aetna policy originally had a WLS exclusion but when my employer eliminated some of the regional medical plans and dumped a bunch of extra people into theAetna plans, they also dropped the WLS exclusion (and some others). The people you need to be making a case to are the people who are responsible for determining what your employer will and will not cover in their policy (and those people are higher up than your HR folks). Lora

Definately the employer. I have Anthem and just had surgery 6 days ago. I had no problems with them at all.

I have BC/BS also and it was covered.  Your employer pobably has an exclusion for WLS.  You need to talk to them.  If you make a good enough plea to your employer they may let you have it. 

Are there any Nationwide employees that were able to get the lap band approved?  I have the Anthem PPO coverage...but I am willing to switch to another plan in Dec to get coverage.  Right now all I'm getting is that Anthem PPO will not pay for it, regardless of how much I need it :( Paying out of pocket is not an option--I'm a single mom who can barely pay for daycare!   Thanks for any insight...

Amy, you need to check with your HR department.  It could be they have an exclusion on all of their insurance programs they carry.

Yep -- Anthem bc/bs is my provider and covers it. My employer had it included, and I didn't even have to go through too many hoops first -- just medical necessity.

I'm sure it's not what you want ot hear but Anthem is telling you the truth.  I have Anthem and was ok'd in less than a week.  My insurance is through my husband's job and two others at his work have already had it.  One the lap band the other RNY. Maybe you can work on your employer. good luck!