Question:
It Is not Mo.state that has the 5 year rule but because I have Medicade

In our state we don't have the 5 year rule but what I have found to be a problem is that even tho I am approval for this surgery thru Medicade my Doctors office has 2 different patients sign up list. 1 Is for people who has Insurance and the other Is for people who is on Medicade. Now if you have Insurance you can be put on this list in June but if you have Medicade you have to wait 4 or 5 years. But again this has nothing to do with Missouri Medicade. I feel this to be a big problem here since most of the poor or Disabled people are the ones who are the people who need this the most. I was told to call back if I get regular Insurance and they could move me up and on the different list.    — Susan L. (posted on April 24, 2003)

April 24, 2003
I would call the Medicaid office. It is against Federal Law to discriminate against people because the have state or federal aid.
   — elliviki

April 24, 2003
I do not know anything about medicaid but my grandma had medicare and I think that your doctor is claiming that he only does a certain number of medicaid patients per year...It is crappy but it is legal. Have you contacted other wls surgeons in missouri? A surgeon came highly reccommended to me but is not on the obesityhelp list because he performs other surgeries in his practice. So you could find a surgeon that does the wls as part of his practice. Call your pcp and the hospitals and ask for a surgeon that performs wls.
   — cherokey55

April 24, 2003
first i want to say i feel really bad for you about that. but to tell the truth doctors office who do choose to take anykind of goverment funded program can kind of do not what they want but they can do things a little how they want in more ways then one they are aloud to have list like that. as long as its not a list that has anything to do with race creed ect you know what i mean and as long as they let you know up front. they cant string you along. the reason why they do this is because im sure as you know with goverment medical programs doctors have to take a big loss im not saying its your fault our anyone elses its the goverments fault becaue they kind of fource some doctors to make dicisions that they may not want to. and your right the poor does suffer and the disabled but you have to reliaze thats why we still need to stand up as a people and speak society still has a hard time dealing with obesity they think we eat to much that we love food we just need to diet so we it comes time to surgeries like this we have to go thru so so much not like the average blow joe who may need open heart surgery to save his our her life and so forth. but keep your head up dont get discouraged and keep going. you will be ok we are all here for you ok hugs hugs hugs and if you need to you get a new doctor and i know its easier said then done but you need to do what is best for your health because we do matter forever always big our small
   — Angela A.

April 24, 2003
Hi, I have missouri medicaide and i was approved for the surgery too. i had my surgery back in Jan. I t sounds like to me that you might want to try and switch doctors to see if you can get in sooner. Are you talking about your pcp or your surgeon doctor? Because i know that dr. Ali in kansas city is taking patients, but you need a referral from your pcp first. and, if it is your pcp that you are having problems with then you might want to switch. good luck to you.
   — Melodee S.

April 24, 2003
Medicaid pays much less than what insurance companies pay on any procedure. Doctors/Surgeons that have agreed to accept medicaid are required to take a certain number or certain percentage of their business as medicaid patients. Some doctors will only take up to that amount knowing that they could get more money from insured patients. I personally have never seen doctors do this, but dentists do it all the time.
   — RebeccaP