Question:
Has anyone sucessfully had their insurance pay for WLS when there is an exclusion ?

I am asking this question for a friend of mine who needs and wants the surgery. Her insurance does cover it, but her company does not carry the necessary rider for it, so it's excluded. She would like to know if there is anyway around the exclusion.    — jenv (posted on January 22, 2003)

January 22, 2003
On avmed it was an exclusion, I didn't even try to fight it. I switched in jan 2003 to humana and was approved in 1 1/2 weeks, got my surgery date for feb. Good luck...
   — teresa A.

January 23, 2003
PLEASE DON'T BELIVE THAT EXCLUSION IS WHAT IT REALLY MEANS, MY INSURANCE USED EVERY EXCUSE UNDER THE SUN TO NOT APPROVE ME FOR THE SURGERY, BUT I FOUGHT AND APPEALED, MY BMI WAS 56AND THAT WAS ENOUGH FOR ME TO HAVE TO HAVE THE SURGERY PER MY DOCTOR. MOST INSURANCE'S DON'TWANT'S TO PAY FOR THIS SURGERY BUT IF YOU HAD CANCER AND HAD TO HAVE SURGERY PER YOUR DOCTOR THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE PEOPLE DIE DAILY FROM MORBID OBESITY LONG STORY SHORT, MY INSURANCE DID END UP PAYING FOR MY SURGERY AFTER THEY DENIED ME 2 TIMES, I JUST DIDN'T GIVE UP THEY PUT ME THROUGH HELL FOR 8 MONTHS, HAPPY TO SAY, POST OP 11/4/02 AND DOWN 57PNDS. BEST OF LUCK TO YOU!!!!!!!
   — Consuelo B.