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Help! Losing My Insurance



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I found out yesterday that my company will be closing the division I work for by May 28th, and I will be losing my job as well as my insurance. There will be a transition, so some people will be let go sooner, but there are no specific dates, so we don't know who will go before that, or who will be here 'till the end.

I got my lapband 9/15/11, and am still getting fills every month as I'm not feeling any restriction at all. I've got 6.5cc in a 14cc band, so there is still plenty of room to go. My surgeon charges a lot of money for a fill (it's over $600 for the appt. and the fill) - but my insurance paid for most of it - my cost was only $41 after I met my deductible.

I know if you go from insurance from one employer to another the new policy can't call it a pre-existing condition - but I'm not sure how that works if I go from a company plan to buying my own insurance. I'm worried that my fills will become a pre-existing condition, where they would no longer be covered. Has anyone been through this or know anything about it? I will have the option to buy Cobra, but it will be way more expensive than buying my own insurance independently.

Also, if anyone know's about Cobra - if I do go that route, I need to know if it's just a continuation of my current plan, or if I'm starting over. I've already met my deductible for the year - do I have to start over with that deductible, or does what I've already paid cover it?

Any advice will be greatly appreciated!

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Your employer should offer you cobra insurance, I beleive for a term of 18 months.

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Sorry to hear about your insurance, you should talk with HR about the options you may be better with Cobra as I believe it is a continuation of your present insurance. It may be hard to get insurance on your own due to the Lap ban in fact any weight loss surgery can have the put you in to the High Risk Pool. But that in itself may not be bad and in some cases is less than individual policy.

One thing to do ASAP is make an appointment and talk with the Dr. Office. And talk to the nurse and the office etc.

I am almost 3 years out now, last summer when I went in for a fill they said I should be coming more often. My Dr charges like $800 as they due the fluoroscope also. The Nurse said that I was eligible for a special program when you were 2 years out and the cost was $500 for the year! So they may have a special program. Also you may want to check to see if their are any Fill centers! I understand that more and more of these are opening up.

Good luck and keep up the good work.

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Some Drs will lower cost if uninsured. Ask mine lowered mine about half.

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I'm sure you know cobra is very expensive. You can always go to fill center usa for your fills. If theres one in your state. you'll have to google it and see if its near you.

Contact them, tell them the story, same as mine so they herd this a million times. Find out what it will cost you straight out for a fill since you have no Ins.. Its usually cheaper.

Nutrition Programs

Fillcenters USA- Irvington

Irvington, IL 62848

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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