Question:
AETNA PPO - LAP BAND PROBLEMS..................

I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN HEARING IF ANYONE WHO HAS AETNA PPO WAS ABLE TO GET THEM TO PAY FOR THE LAP BAND? THEY HAVE AGREE TO PAY FOR THE RNY OR VGB, WHICH COST $40,000 MORE. BUT I WOULD PREFER THE LAP BAND PROCEDURE... DONNA    — donna C. (posted on November 17, 2002)

November 17, 2002
From the coverage policy bulletin (CPB-157) which has been taken down from the site right now (it's undergoing revisions, but they sent me a copy of it in response to a question I had):<br> Aetna does not cover any of the following procedures because the peer reviewed medical literature shows them either unsafe or inadequately studied: <li>Loop gastric bypass <li>Gastroplasty using staples to create a small pouch <li>Duodenal switch operation <li>Biliopancreatic bypass <li>Laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding using the LAP-BAND <br> So, if you insist on the lap-band, you have a couple of alternatives. One is to switch insurance companies - there are others out there paying for the lap-band, I am sure. The other is to self-pay.
   — John Rushton