Insurance enrollment starts Feb. 1

I'd like to know what company seems to have the best track record for approving lapbanding.

The one carrier that most people seem to report is very band-friendly is United Healthcare. But that doesn't mean anything with respect to the options YOU have. You should investigate the choices you're being presented with and see what you can find out about them. Generalizations are next to useless in the insurance game.

Today hubby says, "No, open enrollment was in November."

Grrrrr....

He was the one, WHO, on Oct. 22nd said, "No biggie, if we can't get you approved with Aetna by Feb, we'll just change insurances."

He's back-pedaling trying to say that "I" misunderstood.

Does he REALLY think I would misunderstand about something so important?

Wow, I read that and thought "who has open enrollment in February?"

I was really interested - that's very unusual.

It happens of course, but almost all major insurance companies make their large company clients have their open enrollments before the end of the year so they can get their enrollees registered in time for the first of year.

And yes UHC is the best of the national major insurance companies, most likely. (By the way, for those in the Massachusetts area - Tufts Insurance has been voted the top insurance company in the nation. This is measuring qualities like of customer service, satisfaction, patient care, claims, etc. )

Honestly though the MOST important thing is finding out whether or not your specific employer (or your spouse's employer) has an EXCLUSION against obesity-related surgery.

Exclusions are negotiated with company to company - and major insurance companies like UHC are putting a lot of pressure on their

clients (the employers) to no longer cover obesity surgery. So it's worth checking your policy details (boring documents, but worth reading) for specifics about obesity.

Nana - So for right now, sounds like you're locked in with Aetna. I'd try to keep the pressure on them - it's a new coverage year so it's worth really digging in and trying to continue your fight with them. I know it's not easy but try and see if your husband's HR department will be of any assistance - a quick call from the employer's HR dept has been known to 'unstick' a lot of insurance company red tape.

Good Luck.

United Health Care

Havta tell ya, I have GHI HMO and was approved within two days of the paper work being submitted...no questions, no fuss, no problem! They called my doctors office and gave them a verbal autherization and then sent the paper auth to back it up~ I almost passed out when my surgeons office called me within TWO DAYS and told me I was approved. I was ready for a fight! Thankfully none was needed....

Good luck to ya