I am so hurt...My insurance - United Healthcare has an exclusion on my policy. My company did'nt buy the Obesity part. I am so hurt, I could just die. I know this insurance will change my life and I am ready for a life changing event. I will not stop until I get this surgery. This is my dream and I am going to make it come true. Any suggestions anyone ??? Do you know any tricks of the trade ?

Insurance is a great big pain in the butt. You can't fight an exclusion though. It's a bummer. I know in my case Medicare won't be covering lap banding (but is covering gastric bypass, which I refuse) until Feb. 2006. I will wait. You might have to self pay and go to Mexico where you can get the surgery done at a fairly good price. It's sad but lots of people here have problems with insurance. I'm just biting the bullet. I have as much patience as they do.

Jen, I'm sorry but in our system large employers do have the right to pick and choose benefits. It's appalling, but there it is.

Perhaps you can talk with your HR department and suggest that next year your company add a "buy-up" plan to your range of options. Have them put in place a plan with more benefits that employees can choose to buy up to--that they pay the additional premium for. Short of that, changing jobs may be your only option in terms of having insurance cover your surgery.