I'm currently on government health care and looking forward to find a doctor who would accept medical for the procedure. i'm located in california somewhere in the central valley. any who, I'd been looking but have got no luck at all. so if anyone knows any doc please let me know or any program that would help me. i'm 5'5 290 lbs mostly on my arms, thighs, and belly; lol i guess thats my whole entire body. i was wondering if i could get it done with my weight because my primary doctor says she wouldn't recommend me because she feels like thats the easy way out. But i told her it's a tool and not the easy way out because i would have to work hard and eat healthy for it to really work. I told my doc if i eat the same and not watch what i do i would end up the same as before like being obese. but she told me to try and eat nothing but protein, fiber and exercise then i could easily loose weight. i tried everything from diet pills, exercising, starving, diet books, etc for more than a month on each and none of it really help. i'm very active always walking, playing with my kids, eating somewhat healthy but both of my parents are obese with diabetes. this year i started to notice i could hardly breath, walk, run or do anything without being tired. I'm thinking my weight is affecting me big time. I notice every of my holiday picture for every year, i'm getting bigger and bigger and bigger. i 've known about VSG for a long time but i didn't want to get it done to me because i thought it was an easy way out but one of my sister got hers done and i notice it's not as easy as you think. you suffer and work way way much more harder. I don't care what anyone thinks about getting VSG done because i know it's not easy and it's totally not the easy way out.

I hope you get information about who could help you, but (going from what you say) it sounds like your doctor may either be too swamped and is putting you off, or may even have a bias against obese people. I have seen that before. Perhaps you should switch doctors. If nothing else, put your request for you PCP into writing, list your reasons for feeling you need at least the opportunuity to begin to explore this as an option. Cite credible sources, and inclue references to her previous denial(s). If you feel she did not listen, or did not seem to have a good concept of what the odds are to loose weight and keep it off without the surgery, etc...and request a response fom her, addressing the letter in a comprehensive way. Give her a reasonable amout of time to respond (there may even be a limit to how long she can put off responding - check you state laws), and send this letter UPS delivery signature required. If she sees you intend to take control of the situation this may assist her agreeing with you.

Good luck!

I know that there are doctors that take Medi-Cal for this surgery, my friends daughter just had hers on public assistance benefits but it took 1 year from her first appointment to the date of her surgery. Ask your worker for a list of providers. If that fails go to www.medi-cal.ca.gov and search for Medi-Cal providers in your area. This is the Medi-Cal website. GOOD LUCK!

Call your insurance yourself and ask which providers accept in your area for VSG and then see which hospitals do around you too. Most likely the surgeons doing it in your local hospital are who you should call first and see if they'll take your insurance, be specific to the VSG though because some will NOT take it for the lap band and will for VSG. I kept my own log for a year in 3 month intervals and gave to my dr. who is for me getting the surgery. I am 40 & 246lbs on his scale and 250.2 lbs on my surgeons within 4 days apart of being weighed. Your insurance company themselves are the ones who are going to finally approve you so find out what criteria you have to have as well..ie, mine wants 1yr. behavioral/diet log and psych. eval and be 100lbs overweight which I am. I found a surgeon last summer then never heard from him again..I got the ball rolling again by going to my seminar and met my NOW surgeon who will NOT take med. for lap band but will for the sleeve which I found out in just a passing conversation with him while leaving the seminar. God has blessed me I just hope he can make me patient as well..Good Luck to you on your quest.