Hi every in trying to get all the information i can on the lap band surgery process. Went to seminar yesterday and really want to do it, but not sure about insurance coverage or what i will have to pay if i do it on my own. It anyone here has blue cross blue shielf of alabama i would like to hear back from you if it was covered or what you had to pay.:help:

Welcome! I think you'll find that there is a wealth of information available here. You'll find lots of information on insurance (and Blue Cross too) in the specific Insurance thread.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/insurance-f8.html

Cheers,

Marie

Hi ya marysexton

welcome to LBT and best wishes on your research. I look forward to hearing of your progress.

becky

Welcome and good luck,

I have Anthem BC/BS but it's of Kentucky and they wouldn't cover me but I didn't appeal either though so I'm sure they will just stay on them. I just didn't want to wait so I self paid. I'm not a patient person. Good luck and you'll be so pleased with you band.

Welcome, Mary!

I have Anthem BC/BS of Virginia and they won't cover any obesity-related procedures. I guess they prefer paying for asthma medication, cholesterol medication, diabetes medication, etc. The lack of foresight by the insurance industry is just remarkable to me!

My self-pay was around $16,000. Good luck with your insurance company!

The big thing to remember with insurance is that it is YOUR company that tells them what to insure and what NOT to insure.... (I'm a benefits person for my company) We are switching to BCBS in 2007, and I had to go to their Columbia office last summer for "train the trainer" type meetings. It was there that I got into a conversation with our head hauncho benefits guy from OUR corp office. He told me that even though BCBS has a written EXCLUSION to NOT cover WLS, WE have an exception in our SPD (Plan Document)... this was big news to me, because we don't cover things like birth control, tube tying, or ANYTHING dealing with infertility....

I'm going to have to jump through hoops, BUT I should be able to get the approval..... I just don't know at what coverage level... 90%, 80% or 60%

Contact your BENEFITS person in HR... and if they don't know ask them for a copy of your insurance S.P.D. or ask them to follow up with corporate.... the insurance company is going to be quick to say no, because that is their job.

Welcome Mary. I don't have Blue Cross but I've seen posting of their approval. I wish you the best of luck and welcome to the lapband forum.