Question:
I urgently need your help/input!!

Has anyone with insurance thru winn dixie stores EVER been approved for this surgery? were you able to appeal the denial and get your surgery approved?? If so, PLEASE E MAIL ME!! I need any and all info on this! I am fighting Winn Dixie myself, and any input would be very helpful!! Thanks!    — Dina L. (posted on February 19, 2002)

February 19, 2002
Hello...I read your profile and I know you've asked this question before...here's the deal, as stated by my doctors, even if the state requires ins. cos to cover this type of surgery, that doesn't mean your employer has to purchase it (think of it as like rental car insurance on your auto policy - most ins. cos offer this, but many people opt not to purchase it.) So what can you say? Winn Dixie is cheap... The way I see it you have three options: 1. Quit WD and find another job with ins. that doesn't have this exclusion (kind of tough, you can't exactly ask in the interview!); 2. Try to get it covered thru Medicade (not sure how this works); 3. Beg or borrow the $ - I think there is an on-line support group that has sort of a scholarship/charity plan for WLS (run your search engines); 3. Contact Walter Lindstrom, atty. Supposedly he is the best at getting around these exclusions (e-mail me privately and I will get you his contact info.) In the meantime, try to remain calm...I sympathize with you, but getting your blood pressure up over this issue is not the best thing for your health situation...Good luck, and SMILE! PS I liked the pix : )
   — rebeccamayhew

February 19, 2002
I also would recommend that you contact Walter Lindstrom. His website is obesitylaw.com. He got me approved. Although my policy doesn't exclude WLS. They were just requiring 12 months of Dr. Supervised diet and without that did not consider it as medically necessary. This despite the fact I my BMI is 62 and I have 6 of the 7 comorbidities that the NIH considers just one as being medically necessary for this surgery. If you have 1 or more comorbidities, he has a pretty good chance of getting you approved, even if they exclude WLS.
   — Dell H.