Cariten Insurance
Hi Rebecca,
Sorry hun, I have no experience with Cariten Insurance Company. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield....
There is a search feature at the top of this page. First click on OH, then type in Cariten and hit search. There should be some post come up from OH posters that have talked about that company. I hope this helps.....
There is a search feature at the top of this page. First click on OH, then type in Cariten and hit search. There should be some post come up from OH posters that have talked about that company. I hope this helps.....
Hi,
I worked for Covenant Health, the company that owns Cariten. For almost all the companies that Cariten insures, they have written an ironclad exclusion for weight loss surgery. They even had an exclusion for my company! I had to private pay! Call them. Ask them if they have an exclusion. Don't think that by calling them you will effect their decision. If they do have an exclusion, there is nothing in the world you can do to get them to pay. They have already been taken to court over it, and they won.
Marilyn
Marilyn
Smoky Mountain Obesity and WLS Support Group
1/17 6:30 LeConte Medical Center
I have spoke to two different people at Cariten (m y husband works for MSHA and they have their own self funded contract) and they said that it would be covered as long as it was medically necessary. I am facing the possibility of having reflux surgery redone and my surgeon thinks that WLS would be more beneficial since I have several comorbities. It looks like if they would pay to redo my Nissen Fundoplication then they would cover this. I am sure the surgeries cost the same with the exception that the WLS can be done laproscopicaly and the other is an open procedure when it has to be revised.
I don't know if you have already met with a WLS surgeon or not and discussed how your prior reflux surgery would affect the WLS. However, another of our board members had a previous Nissen procedure and because of that, her gastric bypass had to be done open. Her recovery took a bit longer and was a bit harder than those of us having lap. But she has done an amazing job with her weight loss and is actually below goal now.
Just a thought to prepare you for the possibility of open gastric bypass. I'm sure your surgeon will discuss all of this with you in great detail and do what is best for you.
Susan (AKA bilsrib)
300/135/135 - Plastics February 2008 - Dr. Lois Wagstrom
P E A C E - It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.
Thanks for the insight. I see my surgeon next week for a follow up to my EGD. He has given me several options and said the only thing that would not work for me was the Lapband. The bypass would actually control my reflux better. I will be willing to have the bypass either lap or open. Mybikini days never existed anyway , so I am not worried about scaring.Send up a liitle pray for a positive outcome to this bump in the road!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi Rebecca,,
Happy to hear that you have a follow up next week to your EGD.
I could be wrong here but I am thinking that Ms. Susan meant to prepare you for an open procedure as opposed to a laparoscopic procedure because the open one is so much more invasive to the body and hard to heal from as opposed to the laproscopripic. I am pretty sure she did not relate that information for cosmetic reasons... I could be wrong and I am pretty sure she is gonna be back to clarify what she meant.
All my best to you and WTG for being so strong about all this stuff...
I could be wrong here but I am thinking that Ms. Susan meant to prepare you for an open procedure as opposed to a laparoscopic procedure because the open one is so much more invasive to the body and hard to heal from as opposed to the laproscopripic. I am pretty sure she did not relate that information for cosmetic reasons... I could be wrong and I am pretty sure she is gonna be back to clarify what she meant.
All my best to you and WTG for being so strong about all this stuff...
I wasn't referring to the Lapband at all. I was only speaking of the difference in recovery time between open gastric bypass and laproscopic gastric bypass.
I had lap RNY and was back at work within 2 weeks. My friend had open gastric bypass with additional work required due to the Nissen and she needed a couple of months before she was ready to get back to her regular schedule. Like I said before though, she has done great!
I wear my scars with pride. I've been through a lot to get where I am and the scars don't bother me one little bit. I only have 2 scars left from my lap RNY and lap gallbladder surgeries. The main scars I have are from my plastic surgery. I feel much better about the scars than I ever did about the 10 lbs of excess skin hanging on my body. 
Susan (AKA bilsrib)
300/135/135 - Plastics February 2008 - Dr. Lois Wagstrom
P E A C E - It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.
Thanks. I realize what you are referring to. I am prepared for it either way. I just want to get healthy so I can watch my little girl grow up. BUT i am sure about one thing, if it needs to be done as an open procedure I am going to ask my surgeon to take out everything that I don't need like my appendix and I do have one tube and ovary floating around in there that I do not really need anymore. LOL!!! Most Active
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