Question:
Has anyone been denied for this reason?

I meet weight requirements. "However, there is no evidence of a metabolic abnormality" The policy states yo must meet weght requirements and have a metabolic abnormality. I don't have diabetes, high blood pressure or any life threatening co-morbidities. I am 39 with a bmi of 48. ny help would be appreciated.    — armonce G. (posted on December 7, 2002)

December 7, 2002
i'm glad you do not have any horrible comorbids but how rediculous to deny you because of it. i was denied and my BMi is 64 and i swear i have every comorbidity there is!! so it depends on the insurance company, it is a money making indistry for them, they do not want to pay out for wls! its $$$$$$$$$
   — janetc00

December 7, 2002
Do you snore? In any position? Wake up with dry mouth and/or headaches? Do you have skin tags? Do you wake up in a pool of sweat with your sheets destroyed? IF so, be checked for sleep apnea. That's considered a FATAL breathing disorder. Do you have high BP? High cholesterol? Shortness of breath? Degenerative joint disease?
   — vitalady

December 7, 2002
How thoroughly has your PCP checked you for any evidence of a metabolic disorder? One set of labs?? I'm a health care professional, and we are finding more and more evidence that many people who are not actually diagnosable with diabetes actually do have "metabolic syndrome" which is a pre-diabetic state and a diagnosis in itself. You may need a more thorough work-up to find this, if it is present. If your PCP won't look for something, go to someone else. You may need someone more agressive and progressive to help you out here, and find something *if* it's there to be found. I'm not saying invent something, I'm saying to agressively look and find what may well be there. One set of fasting labs is not enough to diagnose you "well." Not every health care provider keeps up with the most recent guidelines, research, etc. You don't need someone practicing by the standards of 20, 10, or even 5 years ago. In the areas of heart disease, diabetes, etc., things are changing way too rapidly. Good luck!
   — Susan A.

December 8, 2002
I had the same answer from my insurance co. (acutaly the reason was "absence of serious co-morbidity". I hired walter Lindstrom (worth the $800.00) and he got that reversed and now I have approval and a surgery date..don't know how he did it (took 3 months) but he did it!
   — Pat K.

December 9, 2002
Be sure to go back and have your Dr compare your previous blood levels and pressure. Your cholestrol/blood pressure may not be high but if it has slowly been increasing over the years that IS a co-morbid factor
   — Diana W.