leroyspuds

eat a few cheeseburger then get re-weighed! :>)

I wonder what it costs the ins companies to treat diabetes, heart disease, and a multitude of other medical problems? What's cheaper - WLS or a heart attack? The National Inst of Health says a tiny percentage of people effectively lose weight thru dieting. Insurance actuaries are no dummies. They know it's cheaper to allow WLS then shell out a lot more to treat weight-related diseases. That's why they're easing up on requirements. A single payer (govt) health care system would likely offer WLS. Medicare is a govt single payer system for folks 65 and older and it allows WLS. In fact it set the guidelines for WLS requirements that insurance companies follow (BMI, etc.) So, I think the govt and the insurance companies agree it's a cost-effective solution to obesity. (IMHO)

I have Aetna PPO. My fear is that I'm not doing exactly what they want for the 3 month pre-surgical. I am seeing a registered dietician once per month and a personal trainer thru a health club once per month. Can I do the behavior mod program thru the dietician/personal trainer or do I need to see a third person else for that? Not sure what the want here. One other concern is I have GERD. The policy bulletin says "contra-indicated for acid reflux." Does this mean they don't approve of the surgery if you have that. I've tried to get these questions answered by Aetna but they refuse to talk about it. They say they are not doctors and can't answer these questions. Weird. Also, did you have to provide documentation of other attempts at weight loss? Thanks folks. Any help would be appreciated cuz I don't want to get three months down the line and then be told I didn't do it right.