Question:
If I self-pay, then the company adds WLS to their policy, could I get reimbursed?

Just out of curiosity I was wondering if someone could answer this question. I requested WLS, was denied, appealed and was denied again. I self payed for my surgery, and insurance covered my gallbladder removal. Now I am back to work and there are so many people I work with who are interested in having the surgery themselves. I really think the employees are going to pressure the company to cover it. (yes, they must have used me as a guinea pig to see if I would make it then they would have it.) I am wondering if the company changes the policy to cover WLS, can I make them reimburse me for my expenses? Alot of the older women have a lot of influence. I tried to get them to help me before the WLS, but no one really knew enough about it. Now they are willing to go to bat to have it covered. I feel cheated and ripped off because I fought for this for over 2 years. I am happy that other people will beable to have this as an option but I am pissed because I didn't have the choice. Does anyone know what I can do?    — [Anonymous] (posted on November 3, 2001)

November 3, 2001
Sorry to tell you, but chances are - even if you company ends up adding coverage for the surgery - you most likely will not be able to be reimbursed - when a plan adds a benefit change it usually has an effective date, if that date is after your surgery then that would mean the benefit was not effective at the time of your surgery - the only way it would work out is if they added the benefit effective back to the beginning of the plan coverage and chances are, that wont happen - so sorry - but just think, you got what you needed to have done and because of you, you may end up helping others who might not have been able to do it had it not been for you :)
   — Sharon Jones