I am scheduled for surgery on August 30th. I am a medicaid patient, and here is my question for anyone out there who might have an answer. It took me a very long time to get approved, and my insurance approval is good for 6 months, from June 2011 to Dec. 2011, and I was told that medicaid will pay for fills. However, I was told by another medicaid patient that there were restrictions on how many fills they would pay for, and that in the event you wanted the band removed, they would not pay for it, unless you have proof your health is at risk.

Does anyone know if this is true.

Good question.. Is this for every state? I'm in Mississippi so please let me know. Thanks

I still havent had any answers on this, I was going to switch doctors and the one I was going to switch to requires a payment of 250 dollars, if you are a medicaid patient, I was never given a reason for this, but, I was told I had to pay that even to get a consult with him.

I asked what if I come for a consult, pay the 250, and change my mind, do I get a refund, I was given dead silence on the other end of the phone, and they couldnt tell me if medicaid will pay for a removal, even though they have done a couple of band removals.

The only other info I got was mixed, my surgeons office told me that medicaid will only pay for a couple of fills, while the other doctors office told me they will pay only for the first year, no matter how many you have, and after the first year, you have to pay and its 150 per fill.

Wow. Thanks for the update

I am not sure about the fills, and you might already have your answer, but I know that if an insurance payed to have it put in, they are required by law to pay for the removal.