Question:
How can I Pay?

My Dr has suggested that I have the Lap Band Surgery, but my husbans insurance will not cover any of the cost. I can not get a loan, Is there anyway to maybe get help to pay for the surgery? Does anyone know of any orginization to pay for this? It is detrimental to my health to lose this weight.    — rhonda12 (posted on December 4, 2006)

December 4, 2006
Congrats on the start of your journey. One item u need to think about is that the insurance companies do things for a reason. You should research the Lap. There are a lot of neg questions about this procedure. As for organizations that help people, I don't think so. Why does your doctor want u to have a Lap?? Good Luck
   — Steve Cohen

December 4, 2006
I had a lap band on 9/5/06. My doctor gave me the choice, and, as an RN, I did not want the malabsorption that the RYN creates. The lap band has been around for quite some time. My physician has been doing them for about 5 years here in Hawaii. I have had excellent results with no complications. I had diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and arthritis. I have some arthritic pain still, but the others are gone. Keep working with the insurance company. My insurance only recently began paying for the lap band. Hang in there! You can do it!
   — gtali1954

December 4, 2006
Let your Dr know that the insurance will not pay for Lap Band. If they pay for RNY let your provider know that. I'm sure he will let you have the RNY
   — Kjackson2

December 4, 2006
I had the lap band Oct 6 2006. The risks are very minimal. Your Dr. has reasons why the lap-band is better for you. Mine was not covered either. I had to be a self pay. A lot of people have taken out loans, second mortgages and borrowed from family. If you check on the Lap Band message board you might find help as to where to apply for funding help. My insurance would only cover the gastric bypass but I didn't want to take the risks that come with that surgery. It just wasn't worth it to me. Good luck, Maureen
   — Bee

December 4, 2006
You can try appealing the decision, if you have comorbiditites, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and sleep apnea.
   — Novashannon

December 5, 2006
Have you've chosen a Surgeon yet? There is a Loan Program from the makers of the Lap Band, Inamed. Check with your surgeon's office. Good Luck. If your Obese enough that your Promary is suggesting going the way of Weight Loss Surgery, Have you've checked about getting on Social Security Disability thus eventually getting on Medicare within two years.
   — Michael Eak

December 5, 2006
Most insurances will cover anything that is MEDICALLY necessary. You will have to appeal your insurances decision after they deny. It might be a long process, but your doctor will help. Good Luck!
   — crystalsno

December 6, 2006
You don't indicate whether the insurance company will pay for the RNY, but not the lap band surgery. If they say no to both.. alot of insurance companies will have in their policies that they don't pay for procedures to fix "obesity". They will, however, pay for surgeries designed to reduce, cure, etc the co-morbidities associated witht the obesities. There are a couple of books that I bought while I was researching the GBS and they have information about all the different procedures, sample letters for your physician or surgeon to write to the insurance company and sample appeal letters that you, as the patient, can write to the insurance companies. They are as follows: (I also checked out several from the library) "The Doctor's Guide to Weight Loss Surgery" By Louis Flancbaum, MD ($13.95) "Gastric Bypass Surgery" By Mary P McGowan, MD ($14.95) There is also a good one called "The Patient's Guide to Weight Loss Surgery", can't remember who wrote it. If you go to the library or just use a search engine and type in "weight loss surgery", gastric bypass surgery", you will have a lot of hits. You can also get these at any of the online book houses (barnes & noble, amazon, etc) Good luck to you......
   — Kari_K