Any TEACHERS having WLS in Austin???

Hello to any Texas Teachers out there,
I am incredibly frustrated.  I have attended 4 weight loss seminars over the past year here in SA that in the end don't take Blue Cross/Blue Shield TRS.  It's that damn TRS part.  I know I should be grateful but I feel like the state is screwing me.  Lovely... sorry to vent.  So not my style.  Are there any teachers on the BCBS TRS insurance plan that has found a Doctor and has had the Surgery? 

Thanks in advance for your help!

Catherine TEACH :-)

I work in Arlington.  BC/BS TRS paid for my surgery (minus all the deductables).  I am not sure but I don't think it's BC/BS but what plan your school district chose.  I waited many years hoping our insurance would pay.  Finally, it was included in our plan.
Check with your insurance with the district.
My surgeon is wonderful.  Dr. David Provost in Denton.  I drive an hour to see him but he is worth it!
Good luck.

Thank you for the response!  WLS is included in my insurance but only at a Blue Distinct Facility.  I am in San Antonio and would like to have the surgery here or in Austin.  Unfortunately, no one in SA takes BCBS TRS because there are no Blue Distinct Facilities down here.    Therefore my next plan of action is to look into surgery at Seton or St. David's, two Blue Distinct Facilities.  Were ya'll TRS patients?  If so, did you like your doctor?  Would you recommend her/him?

Thanks! 

When the school district decides what insurance plans to offer, the school board will choose what to include and exclude from the policies. It is very possible that your school district has choosen to exclude wls.
If you look through your information book, the page rergarding exclusions should state if it is excluded or not.
Note - this is not just school districts, basically any large business picks and chooses what to exclude and it generally is done as a cost saving measure. If the BCBS TRS has it excluded you might next year at open enrollment review the other plans the district offers (presuming you work for a fairly large district that offers more then one carrier) and see if any of the other plans carry it.

Hi,
Thanks for your response!  WLS is included in my insurance with my district but through the TRS umbrella BCBS has a stipulation that says I must have my surgery completed at a Blue Distinction Facility.  There is one hospital on the waiting list for this title in SA, and Seton and St. David's are already identified as such.  Are you a part of BCBS-TRS?  If so would you recommend your doctor?  :-)  If not, would you recommend where you went anyway and I can look to see if he/she operates at either of the two Blue Distinct Facilities in Austin and takes BCBS?

Thanks again!

P.S.  My girlfriend lives in Spicewood.  :-)

When I had my surgery back in 2004, my husband's insurance at that time (Capital Metro) paid for it. I worked for a charter school and they had an exclusion for wls.
My surgery was done in Seguin. And as far as I know, my surgeon has not yet been released to return to doing surgery due to his having suffered a CBI in a motorcycle wreck.
That said of my friends in Austin used Southwest Bariatric Surgeons and were very happy w/ them. I do know that they practice at either Seton or St. David's. (I want to say both.)
We LOVE Spicewood - was so glad to get out of the crazy Austin traffic!
Anne

**Hijack**The last I heard from Dr. Fath was that he was moving his practice to the Lubbuck area. Did he change his mine? I haven't talked to him since my 6 month appointment. I know he is a great surgeon handle both my gastric bypass surgery and gall bladder surgery. He perofomed both surgeries at Innova hospital in San Antonio.

First and foremost - I have had lots of complications, but NONE of them were due to Dr. Fath, He is a great surgeon. My complications came several years after surgery.
Your surgery was more recent then mine. When I had mine he was only practicing in Seguin. He ws still on probation for his DWI on his bike. And then about 3 years later (after I quit seeing him) he was in another wreck on his bike and suffered the CBI.
I got a letter about a year ago saying he was closing his offices and if I wanted my files I had to request them. (Which I did and never got them.)
Last I heard he was still doing consulting for Innova but not doing actual surgery. He may have moved to Lubbock as they a very old wls facilty there (NOT old as in bad - but old as been around for a long time.)
Great doctor - I agree.  He just wanted to ride his bike and drink - typical Central Texas boy thing....Just ends up bad sometimes!

Dr. Fath and his office were the only ones I could find even close to Austin at the time I was looking at surgery that would work with me and my insurance. What impressed me about him is he gave you his personal cell phone number and told you if have questions or problems to call him. I did have use it a few times. I do not know doctors who will have you call them directly.I had some minor complications again not the fault of the surgeon. He addressed each issue seriously and immediately. I was glad I had him as my surgeon. He was wanting to do more surgery both WLS and general surgery. He felt more and more surgeons in San Antonio were beginning to do Bariatric surgery and he needed to move on to a area with not a lot surgeons. Now, with this said it pays to be patient and to really search for a surgeon you can trust and has a good success record with performing the different weight loss surgery procedures and it might mean traveling a bit to find one.