Question:
insurance will cover gastric but not but not lap band

my insurnace will cover gastric but not lap band is there anynway i can get is overturned. gastric has higher complications and cost more that lap band. and long term the both have about same results    — sdornath (posted on March 9, 2007)

March 9, 2007
Looks like we are in the same boat my ins will pay for the gastric only so i am trying to loose weight the reason mine won't pay for the band is my BMI it has be to 50 max I am hoping the Dr. will comtact my Ins and trt and see if there is a way around it.
   — churchgirl

March 9, 2007
Which one does your Doctor recommend that you do. The Gastric or the Lap Band? If the doctor knows that your insurance won't pay for the Lap Band then maybe he'll write a letter telling them that that is what he recommends. Sometimes insurances will take the Doctor's recommendation and overturn the rules of the insurance.
   — Virginia M.

March 9, 2007
My insurance was the same. I was going to have the gastric and then some problems ome about that made it not safe for me and my doctor ask the insurance to do the gastric, they turned it down but they appealed it for me and it took 2 appeals and less than 6 months and they finally approved the lapband. So I would not give up. My girlfriend had the gastric and overall I have done far better than her. The lapband has changed my life. Feel free to email me if you have anymore questions. [email protected]
   — Babbles

April 4, 2007
The reason most insurances will not cover the lab band is because it is not as succesful as the gastric bypass, for example. I had the gastric bypass May 2006 I have lost over 100 lbs. My mom had the lap band June 2006 and she has not lost any weight but maybe 5 lbs. She still can eat whatever she wants and as much as she wants, however I can only eat small portions. She had to pay cash for her lap band procedure because her insurance would not cover it, not even after several appeals. But she did not want the gastric bypass even though her insurance would cover it. So she basically wasted her money.
   — torres9178