Question:
How do I shop for an insurance company?

I dont have insurance yet. I will in Feb. But if they deny me how can I shop for an unsurance company? And do I tell them upfront that I want the surgery or do I wait until I have it for a month or so?    — [Deactivated Member] (posted on September 8, 2003)

September 8, 2003
What choices do you have? Each state is different, each company is different. PPO's and traditional plans are usually better than HMO's when it comes to approving this type of surgery. I would not ask an insurance company up front if they would cover RNY, because they can always change their mind or give you bad information, or once the policy is written the exclusion could be there. Most of the time they won't give you this up front anyway. To look into who approves and who doesn't, go to the insurers page on this website and check out your choices. Are you "self pay" or buying your own insurance? This makes a difference too, then you need to ask the question regarding coverage. If you are changing jobs, it is good to find out if the employer has an exclusion (check this website)- again a touchy subject I would not recommend bringing up in an interview.
   — M B.