Oregon Health Plan????

I have hesitated to perpetuate this thread but have to say that I agree with Christina.  This surgery is a miracle and should be for everyone.  I know several people who would love to be able to have this surgery and can't afford it for what ever the reason.  I see people who are young and who will soon be disabled due, basically to weight issues we have all experienced.  These are people who are working at mininmum wage or slightly above, have children and have no way to pay for this surgery.  No family support to help care for the kids and would struggle to have the money for the necessary vitamins needed afterwards.  I just want to cry for them, as they are hard working and as I see it, doomed to failure, disability at a young age---then who do you think will be paying for their care---tax payers will.  Why not give them the opportunity to have results like most of us with this truly wonderful life saving surgery and become a great community supporters and contributers and tax payers for the rest of their lives.  If I had the money to do so,  I would pay for this surgery for anyone, anywhere who desires it.   Miracles should be for everyone.  Just my thoughts.  Julia

I swore to myself that I would not get involved in this but the new found self-control I have regarding food does not cross over to this! My husband is a State of Oregon employee who risks his life doing his job...and yet the State of Oregon and BCBS would not pay for his wls or mine!  We had to self-pay a ton of money to be healthier!  And believe me, firefighters are not very well paid so this was a HUGE burden for our family of five! Judge not, lest thou be judged!  This goes for ALL of us, not just those of you who are convinced you are right, the one who screams the loudest is not always right! Peace and Love from the conservative (and proud of it) part of Oregon!

"My husband is a State of Oregon employee who risks his life doing his job...and yet the State of Oregon and BCBS would not pay for his wls or mine! " I'm pretty sure that the State of Oregon employees BCBS plan indeed pays for WLS.  Also, there are many conservative Oregonians who believe that neither state nor federal government should pay for weight loss surgery - that those who need it should just practice self control and diet.  Surely, those of us who've had WLS would take exception to that.  There are also conservative Oregonians who take exception to our tax dollars paying for the insurance of employees' spouses.  There are many two-parent working households who work very hard to afford health care coverage for their entire families, as not many employers provide coverage for entire families.  I'm just saying.... Cheryl

I'm betting that if Michelle's husbands insurance paid for wls, they would have gone that route instead of self paying for two surgeries.  I am in a support group where a gentleman is a state employee and he got an attorney supplied by the lap band company to fight the BCBS ins. co.  He is still waiting to see if he gets approved.  So, I opt to believe michelle when she said that BCBS did not cover their surgery.  Maybe the feds will just come up with a healthcare plan for everyone, rich, poor, middle class.  Maybe we could get the same coverage our senators get, wouldn't that be nice, I hear there's is quite nice.  I would also like their retirment package, but I don't see that happening either.

Their policy would have paid for a lap band or RNY. They obviously opted to self pay for a different procedure (VSG). I can see doing that, as I did the same myself. My insurance (Kaiser) would cover the RNY, but I did not want anything to do with that procedure, so I self payed for the procedure I felt would work best for me.   So... back to my original point - that the mud slinging can go either way (glass houses and all). There are folks who have plenty to say about those of us who've had ANY type of WLS - that we're lazy, have no self control, that we're a big part of the reason health insurance rates are so high to begin with (due to self-imposed poor health, thus higher health costs for the insurance companies), and that we have taken the "easy way out."  And, again, there are also taxpayers who take exception to paying for health insurance for perfectly able-bodied adults who choose not to work just because they are married to an employee.   It is short-sighted to attack perfectly legitimate recipients of a welfare system (a system that is supported by the majority of voting taxpayers), who wish to benefit from that system by getting healthier. That's just simple math.  We've all been desperate enough to have our bodies cut open for the same reason, so surely we can offer support to others in the same boat while checking the self righteous, holier-than-thou attitudes (that any one of us can easily be on the receiving end of) at the door . Cheryl

I know my post sounded nasty, but all I was trying to say was, don't jump to conclusions and don't judge anyone's situation until you've walked around in their shoes for a bit.  I think most of us feel that way.  You never know when hard times will befall any of us that will put us in the bread line (and darn it!  I can't eat bread any more!).  I do tend to get riled when folks attack the less fortunate. Linda

Hi Linda:  You and I are on the same wavelength here! :)  I don't like self righteous bullies and this place should be a safe one where folks can come and get support from others in the same boat. Cheryl

Where in the world did I ever say that people on welfare are lazy?? Please show me that quote from me!!  Where did I attack anyone?  Again, please show me! And no the State of Oregon does not cover my health insurance, they help cover only a very small part of it.  We pay a very large monthly fee to have myself and our children on my husbands policy! Yes, I agree BCBS would have covered the RNY or the Lapband for my husband but not for me.  The RNY and lapband were not options for him for many reasons.  The wls that would work and fit into a healthy, active lifestyle for him was not covered and so he spent about 1/3 of his very "large" yearly wage from being a State emplyeed firefighter to have the surgery that would help him live a healthy life.   As for myself, I am a volunteer SMART Reader at a rural elementary school.  I am a Girl Scout Leader and a Cub Scout Leader and I have been a 4-H leader in the past.  I do work!  I contribute more then you could know!!  I have worked outside the home for years also, as a substitute teacher and in San Francisco at financial companies.  If I was in the workforce at this time, my children would just be home alone or in daycare.  So I choose to tighten the family budget to a place where we can live on my husbands paycheck and I concentrate on raising our children and helping other peoples children.  Also, we have a farm and we (I) raise the animals that we eat and the chickens that we gather eggs from and many of our own fruits and veggies.  (maybe I do have time for a "real" job) Thank you for reminding me about "glass houses", I believe that was the point I was making.  I saw one person being attacked for speaking her mind and I thought words were being attributed to her that she had not even spoken. Have a wonderful day, I have snow to shovel since I do not have a real job!!

Injecting a factoid into an emotional debate: Not all State of Oregon employees have BCBS. PEBB offers other options as well - Kaiser for one. For my family, BCBS is the better option, although I did seriously consider switching to another plan this year (Providence, I think) because they did not specifically say the DS would not be covered. In the end, BCBS was our overall best choice.

While I've always considered myself a flaming liberal, I also find myself being frustrated with folks who don't try to be productive. Yes, I want to give a hand to those in need. But I want them to use that hand to better themselves, not look for a handout forever.

I also agree with Christina - look how much more involved in life we can be when we are NOT SMO.

In this case we don't have all the details.