Question:
Does medicaid (medical card) in Illinois cover wls.

   — willish (posted on September 13, 2007)

September 13, 2007
i believe it does i have the medical card .i have the letter from my doctor. all i need is the surgeon.... but my husband was told before a doctor will even talk to you you need to attend a seminar.thats all im waiting to do.
   — christinephillips

September 13, 2007
Yes medicaid does pay for WLS.But,it has to be deemed medicaly neccesary by you doctor.And I found out thru my search for a 2nd surgeon in over a year that a lot of Doctors & facilities are no longer accepting it for the LapBand.Mostly because the LapBAnd is still relatively concidered to be a new procedure,and medicaid isn`t paying them enough for the procedure,and a lot of places aren`t certified.That`s why it`s best to find a place that is a CENTER OF EXCELLENCE if possible.That`s when I changed my mind and decided to go with the RNY.I have a consult with Dr.Dr.Subhashini Ayloo at University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago October 5th.Her number is (312)355-1578 She does accept medicaid and so does the hospital where she does the surgeries.I hope this helps.Good luck on your journey.
   — [Deactivated Member]

September 13, 2007
Yes, it does. I had to go through springfield, because the other doctors that took medicaid is in St. Louis and they wanted 650 up front and a 2 year waiting list. Sprinfield is 1 year, but they only do the open. But you have to attend group meetings every month. I am finally getting a appointment with the surgeon in Jan. I started after getting turned down twice by insurance. I have been in the program since Sept of last year.
   — dawnspaints

September 14, 2007
Like another poster said, the hospital has to have a center of excellence certification for mediaid or medicare to pay for it. I think it is the law of the land. My friend had it done, the open rny. I don't know if lapband is included. But don't be afraid of rny. you will do well.
   — geneswife