Question:
Finding an insurer

I don't want to go through an appeal process with my current insurer(BC/BS of Texas) because a co-worker did with no luck. Does anyone know of a supplemental insurance I could add on to mine that could get me going sooner?    — oneten (posted on July 25, 2006)

July 25, 2006
first of all you should not make a decision based on your friends issues. You don't know what she did or did not do correctly. An appeal process is most likely the best thing to do unless you have about $1000 and let a Gastric Attorney help you. There is no supplemental insurance that I ever heard of. Good Luck
   — Steve Cohen

July 25, 2006
when I looked at the insurance on this website for people who had "BCBS OF TX" I couldn't believe that there were so many people who were denied the surgery! But, I did see some that were approved after the first appeal letter so I would try an appeal if I were you. Also, I think it also depends on the letter that the DR sends in to your insurance. So, if your friend used a different Dr than you, then your Dr may right a better letter than your friends Dr did. Anyway, I would go ahead and send in the first letter and see how it goes and if they deny you, send in an appeal letter, what do you have to loose? I don't know of any secondary insurance. ~Melissa
   — WannaBSlim

July 25, 2006
Attempt an appeal, it can't hurt. I did with Aetna (which is suppose to be the toughest insurance to get this approved!) and I was approved. My neighbor (also Aetna) was just approved yesterday, after an appeal. The KEY to a succesful appeal (in my lowly opinion) is a QUALITY family doctor that will fight for you. My GP was great and really went to bat for me. He personally called the medical director for my area of AETNA and argued the point. I did NOT get approved for the LAP BAND which is what I really wanted, but I did get approved for the bypass and ended up with a VBG.
   — WMKaisla