Need insurance/how to pay help

I am dieting/exercising because right now that is all I can do. I need help for my boyfriend though. He is roughly 450-500 lbs at 5'9". Anyways, he has absolutely no health insurance and was laid off work for the summer. He's a college student and only works part time so paying out of pocket is an absolute no. He wants to join the military, and obviously for his own health needs to lose weight, but also so he can join. Does anyone know of anyways to begin researching how he could get WLS done? Are there any agencies, or health insurances that would cover it? Or help with it? Any help is much appreciated.

First I would see if he qualifies for OHP/Medicaid and or Medicare if his weight and co-morbidies are impacting his life. If he doesn't qualify for either of those........there is an insurance plan for people who don't qualify for OHP but can't get health insurance on their own. I don't know if it covers WLS or not. I know most insurance companies that sell private policies (Kaiser for example) will not cover people who are MO and if they do, they don't cover WLS. Not trying to get you down, just being honest! His best bet would be to find a job where he can get benefits to cover surgery, even if the job is only part time. I know of people who get loans to pay for surgery which would be another option (although I don't know if that is feasable for him). I hope that helped a little!

Thank you Dayna. He used to have OHP, but when we looked at the OHP site it says it doesn't pay for weight loss programs. Do you they pay for surgeries, or is that considered a program? We would go with a loan if we could find someone who would loan him one. He's 21 with no credit, and no job at the moment. He's searching, but who knows how it will end up. Thank you again, I appreciate the help. I will check into OHP more.

OHP no longer covers non pregnant adults over the age of 19, and does not cover weight loss surgery. I used to work there. Sorry. Vikky

Hi Vikky, Thank you for clearing that up. We were confused, as we'd been told a few different things about OHP. He is applying for the FHIAP, and was told atleast one of the eight plans offered should cover WLS. Do you know anything about them? Thanks Again, Lisa

See, he's in good shape for someone his size. He can still walk comfortably, he gets aches and pains, but nothing real serious. He also has light sleep apnea. Other than that he's healthy. He isn't disabled. He isn't currently working, but is job hunting. I am hoping he can get FHIAP, because in their literature, they state if you get it, and than later on get a job, you don't have to report it until the next year when you redo all your information again. I was also told that of the 8 programs, atleast one should cover WLS, however, it will probably have higher co-pays. We are crossing our fingers with this one.

Okay, I went to the Medicare website, but I think I am more confused. What exactly do they offer? How do you qualify? Do you pay a fee? If anyone can give me the run down I'd appreciate it! Thanks!

If he is not disabled, he will not qualify for medicare. If you can wait until Monday, I can research the FHIAP info for you, I have a friend who works there also, maybe I can figure exactly which program you are referring to. Vikky

That would be WONDERFUL! Thank you so much for offering to do that. He's unemployed so his income is 0 at the moment. If you have any questions, just let me know and I'll be happy to answer them about him. We are just looking for the best service, at something we can afford. It's a medical need for him, but he's still in relatively decent shape. We just want to prevent further problems. Thank again. This is so nice of you to do. Lisa

Well, I know you said he cannot pay out of pocket, but consider this right now: I went to Mexico and paid $8500 with Dr. Aguirre last year (I think it's $9400 this year). That is the cost of a used car. He is obviously young and in good health right now. You have NO idea how ahead of the game he would be to get this done now before that sleep apnea becomes worse and his heart and other organs start to give way. You don't want bad knees or a bad back. If he can avoid that, it would be worth so much more than a used car to avoid that. College may prepare him for the work force and the job he wants, but the surgery can save his life and open him up to bigger and better opportunities down the line as he becomes healthier and more mobile. I would highly recommend looking into alternatives such as what I did. There are many docs in Mexico that have excellent reputations and I can say nothing negative about mine. Had I known about it earlier, I would have sold my car to pay for it. It's that worth it... Dina