PORTS.NAV.HOSP.

they offer the sleeve RNY and lap band

HI, YOU WILL HEAR ABOUT ALL WLS SURGERY..THE DIFFERENT TYPES...GET A THICK BOOK ON WLS..MEET ONE OF THE DOCS WHO MIGHT DO UR WLS..MEET THE PYSCTRIST..MEET THE NUTRITIONIST,DIETICIAN,MEET MS BOONE..AND PROBABLY MEET A WLS PATIENT WHO HAS LOST ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLOT OF WEIGHT...I FORGET HER NAME BUT SHE WORKS IN THE WLS OFFICE..AND IT REALLY IS A FULL 4 HOURS..BRING A DRINK TO KEEP YOUR MOUTH MOIST..LOL YES MS.BOONE TOLD ME THE SAME THING..... BUT WHAT U NEED TO ASK HER AT YOUR ORENTATION IS..... IS IT HOW LONG AFTER THE 6 MONTHS WILL U ACTUALLY HAVE SURGERY...BCAUSE AFTER 6 MONTHS IS WHEN WE START OUR PRE OP TESTING AND ACTUALLY MEET THE DR. TO DISCUSS WHICH SURGERY HE WILL PERFORM ON US.....ASK HER HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO ACTUALLY HAVE THE WLS AFTER 6 MONTHS...THAT IS THE MAGIC QUESTION...I NEED TO KNOW BECAUSE...MIGHT JUST HAVE TO SWITCH TO TRICARE STANDARD...IT MIGHT JUST BE WORTH THE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE DEPENDING ONHOW MUCH THE ACTUALLY WLS COST ...BEING THAT WE HAVE TO PAY 15% IF WE GO STANDARD...I DON' T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DONT HAVE A BALL PARK FIGURE (FEE) IF WE WERE TO GET IT DONE OFF BASE...A DR,OFF BASE WHO DOES WLS, HAS TO BE WITH IN THE TRICARE NETWORK FOR US TO USE THEM..AND IN DOING THAT THEY AGREE TO ACCEPT WHAT EVER TRICARE IS WILLING TO PAY FOR ANY GIVING SERVICES RENDERED....AND THEN WE MAY BE RESPONSBILE  FOR 15% OF THAT... WHICH IS USUALLY WAYYYYYYYYY LESS THAN WHAT THE REG.FEE WOULD BE...I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I HAD MY BREAST REDUCTION DONE OFF BASE..AND WAS TOLD THIS PERSONALLY BY MY DOCTOR..AND HAD THE PROOF WHEN I GOT MY B.REDUCTION INVOICES...MY DOCTOR GOT PAID KIBBLES AND BITES FOR DOING MY B.REDUCTION..I CANT BELIEVE HE WOULD DO IT FOR THE LITTLE AMOUNT TRICARE WAS WILLING TO PAY...PRAISE GOD..THAT JUST LET ME KNOW HE CARED ABOUT HELPING PEOPLE..I HAD TO ASK MYSELF "WOULD I DO IT FOR THAT MUCH.(SO LITTLE)..." AND I SAY YES.."I WOULD" JUST ON THE ACCOUNT SOMEONE WAS SELFLESS ENOUGH TO DO IT FOR ME...IT WOULD ONLY BE RIGHT TO SHARE GOD'S BLESSINGS...(THAT IS IF I WAS A DR.) I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT OH SITE BEFORE I WENT TO MY ORENTATION...YOUR'RE LUCKY TO HAVE THIS FEED BACK...MAKE SURE YOU WRITE DOWN ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE .. SO WHEN U GO TO ORENTATION YOU WONT FORGET TO ASK WHATS IMPORTANT TO KNOW IN REGARDS TO THIS PROCESS. IT'S GONNA MAKE THE WORLD OF DIFFERENCE... GOOD LUCK...AND BE PREPARED TO LISTEN UP..ITS GONNA BE ALOTTTTTTTTTTTTTT OF INFO TO PROCESS.....BUT WELLWORTH THE REQUIREMENT OF GOING....THE PNH WLS TEAM IS AWESOME..THEY ALL GET A A++++++++ FROM ME ..I JUST HATE THAT WE HAVE TO WAIT SO LONG..... TAKE CARE, PATIENT55 SONJA

I know quite a few people that have had it at PNH and not one of them had to wait 2 years. From the time you go to oreintation and the time they first call you is about 6 to 7 months. Than you have to have your labs done, EKG, chest  X-Rays have your consult with the doctor. After your consult with the doctor you call for Nutrition appt and Pys appt. After the Pys appt. you have to wait I think it was like two days then you call  to get your Pre Opp appt. Once you go to your Pre Opp appt if everything is fine you get to schedule for your  surgery. Than you have one more appt. before your surgery.  So from start to fini**** is about  one year. But it does go by fast. I know if that is not for you there is Tricare Standard and that is quicker but does cost out of pocket.  Ms Boone is the only one at the clinic setting up appt.'s but if you leave a message she normally gets back to you that day. She is very nice. Gwen

hi patient55. i am on the wait list at pnh and understand your frustration. i went to orientation in dec 07 and am #763. the  numbers have moved surprisingly fast. in december they were at 650 ish and they are currently at 761. i know that i want this surgery asap, and had considered switching to standard. i had gone to an orientation and received paperwork from bon secours - drs spencer and moore.  just as i was getting ready to go  from prime to standard i found a lump in my breast. i was horrified because i have a history of breast cancer in my family! i had to mammorams and ultrasounds - this test and that test. everything turned out to be fine - PRAISE GOD! i was so happy that i had not changed my insurance.  i was in such a rush that i never thought about the what ifs. i never thought about the possibility of something going wrong and how quickly the copays could start to add up. i am not trying to persuade you to go with prime versus standard. by all means do what will best suit you. just make sure you've considered everything carefully. i would love to see a ciclian doctor and have my surgery in 6 weeks versus waiting in limbo, but after my health scare i'm glad i didn't act quickly. switching from prime to standard locks you out of prime for a year. hang in there. good luck.

THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY PHATAGN07....I'M SO GLAD YOU ARE CANCER FREE..PRAISE GOD.... YEA I WAS THINKING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF COPAYS ADDING UP AS WELL...DID U AT LEAST FIND OUT HOW MUCH THE OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES WOULD BE HAD U WENT TO TRICARE STANDARD?....I JUST GOT MY YEARLY WOMAN TESTS DONE AND EVEN A ULTRASOUND OF ALL MY WOMANLY  INSIDES..;0)..I GOT A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH... AND THANKS CAUSE I WAS WONDERING HOW LONG I WOULD HAVE TO STAY WITH TRICARE STANDARD IF I SWITCH...I ALSO WONDER IF I CAN GO BACK TO MY REGULAR DOC...ONCE I SWITCH BACK TO TRICARE PRIME..I'D HATE TO LOSE MY GREAT DOC..OVER AT WESTERN BRANCH FAMILY PRACTICE..I TRUST HER AND SHE HAS MADE SO MANY THINGS HAPPEN FOR ME. ANYTHING I ASK OF HER SHE MAKES SURE THEY HAPPEN AND PUT IN LETTERS OR REFERRALS THE SAME DAY I ASK FOR THEM. I LOVE HER AND WOULD BE DEVASTATED IF I LOST HER MESSING AROUND WITH TRICARE STANDARD! MORE RESEARCH....... TAKE CARE ALL, SONJA

Morning Patient55- As I told you by PM, I was one who chose to NOT go PNH simply because of the long waiting list.  I switched over to Tricare Standard and never looked back.  My health was deteriorting too quickly for me to make any other decision.  Plus, I had made the decision and was afraid that I might chicken out if I had to wait a year. Personally, I think that making patients wait a year is ridicilous.  If they cannot perfom the surgery within a reasonable time frame, then they should outsource you with making you go Standard.   I will agree that they have a great program....BUT....I have seen several who have used PNH, wait the year, and STILL do not understand.  Too many in fact, so I now question their program. Some will tell you that it will be best to wait, and that is your decision.  But, I personally found the out of pocket expenses to be minimal in comparison to my health. Let me know if you have any questions.

while i was considering going to standard i called the dr that i was going to go with ( he has to be a tricare provider) and got the cpt codes for the roux-n-y surgery, gallbladder removal and something else - can't remember. then i called tricare with the codes and tricare told me what tricare's allowable cost for each was. 15% of the allowable cost would have been my copay. i did not get the anesthesiology  code  so i don't know how much that would be or the little things like all the labs/bloodwork, polysomnography (sleep tests), psych, etc...  several people on the message board have used standard and can give you a more reliable ballpark figure. good luck. oh yeah, after the one year trial on standard, if you elect to go back to prime you can go back to your pcm. you can use your pcm while you are on standard as well.  good luck.