TUMMY TUCK, UNITED HEALTHCARE, HYSTERECTOMY

I am three years post op from my gastic bypass, I have lost 140lbs, my weight now is 130lbs, I have a lot of excess skin on my stomach. I hate for anyone to see me without clothes on. I have excess skin on my stomach, legs and arms. Anyway I have to have my left ovary removed and my uterus, my obgym and gastrointerolgist thinks I should have my excess skin removed at the same time. I need some advice from anyone who know or have some knowledge about this being done at the same setting. Also, I have united healthcare insurance, do anyone know if they will pay for anything related to me having any of this skin removed. I would apprecicate any kind of advice. Thanks

Good Luck with UHC - I have the same weight loss and current weight - I just finished 3 denials - going through two appeals - with letters and documentation from three different doctors - my PCP, my plastic surgeon and my gastric bypass surgeon. I sent pictures that they sent back stating they would not look at them or consider them. I was told they never consider a TT anything but cosmetic, but the coding for skin removeal and TT is the same and you cannot differentiate with their codes. Our insurance switches to BCBS in July, so I will start over and hope for better results. You may be luckier because you are going to have other surgery - my request was just based on rashes, etc. Good Luck, Lynn

Thanks for the response, I was told from three or four different plastic surgeons office that insurance will not cover tummy tuck, my gastic surgeon recommends having the tummy tuck at the same time as having the other procedures done. I don't really know where to start.

Hi, UHC did cover my TT. It was the only procedure they covered. The rest was considered cosmetic surgery. Go figure!!! I had all the documentation etc. that was needed and went through 3 appeals. So I decided to bite the bullet and self pay. I am glad that they will cover the TT though. I'm planning to have it July 25th. Good luck on getting yours covered. Definitely worth trying for the coverage. Dancin'D 7/7/04 rny/lap -210 4/13/97 lbl w/ lipo -30+more

thanks for the information, did your plastic surgeron help or did you gastic doctor help, I contacted a plastic surgeon office and I have an appointement in a couple of weeks, but they told me on the phone that they have not been able to get any insurance company to pay for anything and they kinda since unwilling to help me persue a claim with the insurance company....hopefully when I go there and see the doctor maybe he can give me some advice. Am if you can share your information that you used to get approval from UHC that would be great and I would really appreicate it very much. thanks a lot.

Could you please le me know how you were able to get UHC to cover your TT?

Thanks

Courtney

Hi my friend just got Tummy tuck through UNHC 2 months ago they paid the whole thing. I am going to do it because I am so scared of any other surgery. Plus I have lots if fat hanging I am so depressed with my weight. My feet hurt my knees scrape bone to bone....I need help.

Hello,

What did you do to get the approval?

what exactly did you have to provide to them to get it covered? What type of time frame did it take to get to that point? I now have UHC as of this year but is a PPO so I dont know if that matters..

It's weird that you necro'd this post...

But, to answer your question, the first thing you should do is call your insurance company and find out what they require. Oftentimes, there's an employee restriction on services, so no documentation will get reconstructive surgery covered. So it's dependent upon your particular plan - not the insurance company.