Maggie Diaz Saldivar

Ive heard that even if your plan clearly excludes it and you have 2 or three other issues such as diabetes, hbp, sleep apnea, depression, etc that it then becomes medically necesarry and they cover it. Any one know if this is true. This info came from a WLS patient that had Cigna and her policy excluded it.

I think we have all been in the same boat at one time. I am currently at that position. Reading all of the great comments encourages me tremendously to get this done. Im with you Jacqbult. LETS DO THIS!!!!!

You'd have to talk to your insurance company. Mine is worded such that WLS is never considered medically necessary no matter what illnesses or weight-related issues you have.

I wonder what happens to any person who has had surgery in another location, say overseas or in another state, and is relocated do to a job change, etc. does that mean they have to return to the surgeon wherever it was performed? That is ridiculous assumption. If a dentist made dentures for a patient and there needed to be an adjustment, would another dentist refuse to work on the dentures because he would not want to be responsible or liable for the ill fitting dentures? If a woman delivered her baby by another doctor because she was out of town and the baby came early, would her OBGYN tell her that he can no longer be her doctor because he didn't deliver the baby? I agree with Bittersweet. We are a very global society and people move about all the time. The excuse about liability is lame. I did not ask my surgeon (dr. Houseworth) to be liable for the surgery performed by another surgeon. Why would I even expect that? I simply wanted him to do the follow up such as bloodwork and eventually the 6 month barium swallow if deemed necessary. How in heavens does that put him in a risky position?
Here is my reasoning why he declined. There is no real money in it for him. The surgery is where the big bucks are. He is much to busy to bother with the small stuff. He was more then happy to take my daughter's money while we were going through all the pretesting because he thought the final event would be the ultimate expensive surgery. Well, since that is not going to happen, we can just p... Off!
We will continue with the planned surgery in Mexico and we will do the followup bloodwork etc with a PCP in the area. As noted in this thread, we will not explain where the surgery was performed but will simply ask for the orders to be placed for the required bloodwork. Any immediate complications, if they arise, will be addressed via urgent care or ER. If not urgent we will head back to Mexico and revisit Dr. Ortiz. The flight is cheaper then the dr visit here in the US!
Greed is the name that comes to mind here... And prejudice. But it is what it is.