Question:
what health problems do insurance companies approve for wls?approve

I will be going to my first wls consultation tomorrow. I was wondering what health problems most insurance companies approve for wls. I am extremely overweight, but do not have to many actual health problems associated with the weight. I would like your imput as I would like to get approved without too many problems.    — Kristin M. (posted on August 24, 2000)

August 24, 2000
I have a list of co-morbidities from Kaiser Permanente which I will e-mail to you. One observation I have made about myself and other overweight people is that while many of us don't feel we have serious health issues, the fact is we do. It's just that we have learned to live with the symptoms in our every day lives. (For example, if I had stayed home from work every time I had an ache, pain, or sick feeling, I would never go to work.) It has taken me several years to understand what a "normal" healthy person should be feeling simply because I have not felt that way in a long time. I learned to live with many "minor" aches and pains and other symptoms that ended up being diabetes, sleep apnea, and weight related joint pain. Don't get me wrong, if you don't have any major health issues, that's wonderful. But more than likely your weight has caused more problems than you realize. At any rate, don't automatically tell your surgeon you have no major health issues. He may not want to do the surgery in that case. Let him make the determination. It's also helpful to know your family history well. For example, even if you do not have many co-morbidities, your parents, siblings, aunts and uncles may have them - meaning you may be headed down the same road. Many doctors take family history into consideration as well. Good luck!
   — Paula G.

August 24, 2000
Hey Kristen: Look into your family history to the possibilities of problems in the near future. My main co-morbidity was osteo-arthritis which my weight really aggrevated (sp). I also have a family history of diabetes (late onset)and high cholesteral (mine is borderline). The arthritis was plenty to okay the surgery. Go prepared with all the info. you can think of. Good Luck.
   — Dot W.