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LapBand Insurance Issues



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I thought I would put this out to see if anyone has advice or experience. I had LapBand done 6 years ago. About 3 years in my weight loss slowed but I was down overall 100 lbs. I went to my doctor with awful reflux so they put me on Prilosec. Fast forward 3 more years, I didn't need the meds, my band slipped! Now 3 years of it off key, it has really screwed up my stomach and has got to be removed. I am terrified since in the last 2 years I have gained back 50 lbs already.

Insurance says since I am more than 2 years post-op they won't do anything but have the band removed. Doc really wants to remove it and do sleeve for me but I am worried I am in for a fight with the insurance. Any advice on this?

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Hopefully the surgeon's staff will be able to work with the insurance company to get the best possible result for you. They probably have some one on the staff who handles this. Maybe you can find out who that is and talk with them. Best wishes as you move forward toward a solution!

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I think the first step is as @@Bandista suggests. If you need bigger guns after that, there is a law firm in the U.S. that works for people in your situation. You'll find it by googling Walter Lindstrom Attorney. The name of the firm mentions WLS or bariatrics or obesity. You can't miss it. I'm only providing the name, as I've never heard from anyone whom they actually represented. I believe they work nationally. (There may be others, too.)

If you do contact the firm, please let me/us know what they say. I may be in the same situation you're in.

Best wishes to you.

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There is an insurance lady who coordinates but she thinks the revision surgery may not be covered. She said the removal will be but possibly not the 2nd surgery. Ow they have me going for blood work and tests to see if they can classify me with a co-morbidity. Unfortunately it is purely genetics and I am a unicorn. My original surgeon said I was the healthiest morbidly obese patient he had ever met! ????

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    • Alisa_S

      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.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      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.
      · 1 reply
      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.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

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

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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