I have found a list of approved facilities at this website

http--www.cms.hhs.gov

First go to the More section under Medicare

Second click on medicare approved facilities under medicare general information

Third click on bariatric surgery

This should give you a list of all approved facilites in the US.

Good Luck

M

Nanahanna looks like the closest to you might be Shreveport. M

Hi MVPO! I called Christus Hospital and Doctors. Louisiana has not approved lap band for Medicare Pts yet...sigh...they said check back later. I have found a doc in Memphis who does accept medicare and operates at a COE there (St. Francis). They are sending me a info pack, but I am a little nervous. She has done hundreds of RNYs but only half a dozen Lap Bands. Not sure about that one. I am still researching my little fingers off looking for someone who is not too far from home. I may have to go to Dallas, or even Nashville. Dallas is just 4 or 5 hours away, not a bad drive, almost total interstate 20 but Nashville is 12 hours one way 8 hours of that interstate 40. I am kinda bummed, but if I can't find one who does lapband, I may try to go to Shreveport and do RNY if I am fat enough. LOL. I have a friend who had RNY but she weighed 300 lbs. I am 225 lbs! but have diabetes, hypetension, arthritis, maybe sleep apnea, and an extremely strong history of heart disease with premature death due to heart attack!

Nanahanna I live just north of Dallas in Allen. If you don't mind lots of cats and dogs you can visit here while you are checking things out. You can also check out my ROSES while here. M:clap2:

MVPO! I would love to visit with you and see your roses! I love cats and dogs too. My daughter has 3 dogs and 3 cats so I am used to them! I am still looking for a doctor who takes medicare patients and operates at a COE hospital! This is exasperating!

Bumping to the top again.

I found my surgeon in Shreveport LA. Dr. George Merriman. Although I am having RNY he also does lapband surgery and if I understood him when I saw him 5/10 he said "from now on I am only going to do the lapband on medicare patients". I took that to mean that he would no longer do RNY on Medicare patient's. He said I would still be able to get the RNY. I wish I had asked him why he has made that decision but didn't.