What would you ask a politician who could help you???

Hi Friends! It's me again, your trusty pest, continuing to ask you for info that will aid in my lobbying the government on a local, state and national level to eliminate obesity discrimination AND to make insurance coverage for surgical weight loss a mandatory benefit. Even though I'm in Alabama I am working to lobby all 50 states. It's pay it forward time..........can you please, please help me by answering this question. If you could sit face to face with anyone in power and make a difference.....what would you say to them about WLS and how it will change or has changed your life? Hugs, Rona Your Bari-Godmother

Hi Rona, Its wonderful that you are working to help us! I am a newbie here, and even though I have been researching getting WLS for YEARS, I am only NOW just getting truly serious and GETTING it done ASAP. I will have to pay for it out of pocket, of course, because our insurance has WLS as a Written Exclusion. As for what I would say to someone with the power to change it? Well, I would start by pointing out, that the insurance covers all the things that my Obesity is causing, but not actually treat the Obesity itself! My insurance just paid over $4000 for a sleep study for my sleep apnea, which was caused by my Obesity! They are paying for the Cpap machine that I now have to use for the REST of my life (but I hate it so, I don't use it every night). They cover expensive nasal sprays to help with snoring, (They don't work either) They pay for all my hypertension medications and follow-ups, that I will have for the rest of my life; but at the same time, when I had been able to lose weight (for only a short period of time), my BP improved Greatly! They pay for my prescriptions for my Acid Reflux problems. I have had one surgery on my foot/leg already, which was because my weight put a strain on that tendon which had to be cut to relieve the pain. They even covered all the wheelchairs and therapy after that, and the recovery was very slow. Then, I would point out how much my life would improve. My overall health would improve. Self esteem, which is currently in the toilet, would be the improve. I would be eager to re-join society and be a 'part of things', instead of hiding away as I currently do. I am currently unemployed (even though as a housewife/mother, I am ALWAYS on duty!) I can't even look for work because physically, it is too hard on the body. I can only do 'desk work', and those types of jobs have been unobtainable for me. (Why would the office hire me, when they can hire that pretty young thing who just looks Soooo Gooood!) So, I would become, after WLS, a productive member of the community! Lastly, I would point out, that Obesity is the LAST prejudice out there. I can't begin to tell the stories of this, that I have actually had to deal with! It's just wrong! But even in this day and age, when being politically correct is the norm, the "your Momma so fat joke" is still out there. I don't think it would be as funny when the joke spoke about all the related medical conditions 'Momma' is dealing with. All the depression and isolation. It shouldn't be Allowed, and insurance companies don't have the right to label us this way. Like this is all our fault, we WANT to be fat! Even with all the medical research stating that being Obese is more genes than will power, I haven't seen anything change. Insurance companies and people need to understand this is a Medical Condition, and it is just not fair to put a price on our lives. I know, my life is worth $17,200... this is the quote for my WLS. I either pay it to get my life back, or give up and die. I don't see any other option. That is where I stand. I don't know if it helps, and I am sure this story can be repeated by MANY out here. I know that I will have to pay for my surgery myself, but I hope that we can win some battles, so others can have these procedures covered, as they SHOULD be!! Sharon, in WA hoping for a Lap-band, SOON!

What if it was your wife, husband, daughter, or son that was suffering with their weight? They are suffering sooooo bad not only with the physical but the mental and emotional problems of the weight. Problems such as discrimination by employers, people on the street, and the school bullying classmate. What do you think it would cost us by letting people have WLS compared to the costs of all the other illnesses that are contributed by being over weight? What illnesses will we knock out or minimize by having the surgery? Name them off. Obesity is a big problem in the U.S and here is one solution to a problem that already exist until other solutions are successful. Why should this surgery be out of my reach because my insurance wont pay and the cost is too high?

I would ask what they have done, are willing to do, to help eliminate the extreme prejudice toward morbidly obese persons. I would give an example as I heard on the news just this morning, as I am 9 days out from RNY surgery: Marlon Brando died today at 80. One news reporter said that he and Orson Welles had a similar experience of being shut out of the limelight, partly due to their choices, but also due to their size. Another reporter stated that Marlon Brando's son said his father weighed over 300 pounds and who would be knocking at his door? I did not put these in quotes because this is just the terrible gist of what I heard. I nearly lost my appetite, what little there is of it right now. We have two separate issues. One is the health issue, which is why some of us have gone the wls route. The other is the horrible prejudice and that seems to be going on even when we may lose weight to be healthier. How are insurance problems going to get any better for us when the judgmental thinking towards us is so powerful that even Orson Welles and Marlon Brando were socially forced into hiding? This is really important! When will a reasonable politician work with us to change this whole mess so that the Brandos and the ordinary ones like you and I can live better, more productive lives? Thanks. Lauren, on her soap box after this morning's disgusting tidbits.

Hi Rona, First I want to thank you for taking this on. Wow, I am only a few months into this and the road blocks are up. I am currently attempting to get a trustee plan insurance company to make an exception for me, I appreciate any help and more importantly any prayers. Questions for politicians or legislations? First, I would ask why public companies are allowed to display this type of prejudice and discrimination when no other type of discrimination is legally allowed by any other medium? Does the money issue give them the right to pick and chose who is worthy of being healthy? I can sue people or companies for discrimination but insurance companies are still allowed to behave this way with no legal recourse. Second, I would ask that someone make sense of the unbelievable amount of money our country spends on the many physical problems that are either caused by or aggravated by obesity, when an alternative and most often cheaper method of treatment is available? Though there is an initial cost the over time costs are typically much cheaper. Third, health insurance was created in order to allow people the ability to attain medical help for health related problems, why is an insurance company allowed to dictate what is allowed in order to attain a better state of health, despite the recomendations that physicians around the country make every day? Fourth, Is the insurance more for profit or control now rather than to make the humans who pay for it healthier? I believe that every person who has to vote on a bill for this matter should have to undergo a cosmetic treatment to make them appear obese, they should then have to spend a few hours or a day carrying around 100 pounds while trying to blend in on busy city streets. If they then find that there is no honest discrimination then they have a honest right to tell us no. Otherwise I believe that human beings, men, women and even children sometimes, should come first. Quality of life should come first. Cindy F (Washington state)

I would ask why are we as overweight people any different from someone needing a heart or kidney transplant. We want to live a productive, happy life just the same as they do. Our surgery cost less then theirs with less chance of failure. I want to live just as bad as they do. The same as everyone else that decides they want surgery as well.

Sorry I just thought of another one. I would like to know why our society, goverment and insurance companies are willing to support medical care for the recovery of problems due to self induced behaviors and habits that cost our society millions or even billions of dollars in health insurance? Why are they willing to pay for the physical and/or emotional recovery from problems caused by self induced alcoholism, drug abuse, bulemia, or anorexia (just to name a few)? should they have the right to pick and chose from among the so called self induced "bad habits" or "destructive behaviors" that are worthy of being treated? I also wonder if these choices on the part of the insurance companies aren't in someway supported (very possibly even financially) by the very companies that promote the problems that cause these very health problems? Do alcohol, tobacco, or pharmacutical companies have any type of financial feedback into the insurance system? Maybe we should all pay a very minscule additional tax on every edible food item sold in order to allow the food industry to feed back also. Maybe then we would be considered sick or disabled and worthy of treatment instead of being labeled as sick, lazy, slobs who stuff our faces all day long. I can't eat two pieces of pizza without being sick and I'm sure that I'm far from the only heavy person who has this problem yet still wears these labels. sorry to go off this is a touchy area Cindy F (Washington state)

I e-mailed many government agencies last week. This is in the state of Washington. The Insurance Commissioners office has tried to contact me regarding the e-mail. I will keep trying to call them back. I don't know if they can help but I know that we can not sit back and take this discrimination. I went to a number of seminars on WLS and the doctors all say it is my heredity that causes me to be where I am. The truely sad thing is that I work for a hospital in the surgery departent. I work for a hospital that has one of the best records for WLS but it is not available to me because my company excludes it. When I wrote my letter I said everything mentioned in the other letters especially that these companies will in the end pay out more then the surgery. I also wrote, "If I had cancer, diabetes, or heart disease, my fellow employees would march for me. Who will march for me?" Obesity is not cute. Obesity looks lazy. I am told that I don't care about myself. But the truth is that I am dying to get out of this body. Please everyone that reads this, e-mail all of your government agencies. We must stop hiding because of out shame. Please come march with!

It just ****** me off that I had to pay out of pocket to get a surgery that I wanted. I had no comordidities but I am fat! I never ever use my insurance for anything. I haven't even broken a bone since first grade but I pay, pay, pay my portion of my insurance because I just may need it someday. Well, I needed it and they dogged me big time. They wouldn't even discuss the issue of WLS. I am a teacher so I work for the government and I give it my all nine months out of the year ( and then I go to workshops, classes, etc, the other three). I suppose I don't find a lot of discrimination in my workpalce. I think this is because many teachers are overweight. We are caregivers and being overweight goes along with that syndrome. I would be sure to tell the politicians that I am to teach the chidlren, our future adults, about tolerance, kindness, respect and so on. How, when I didn't get it? I am not going to lie to my students and pretend that we live in an ideal, non-discriminating world! What the heck is the difference between us being told we have to pay for our surgery and being imprisoned by and unfair dictator. We aren't allowed out of our prisons either, unless we come up with hard earned bucks!