Healthcare Exchange: States that do not cover Bariatric Sugery

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

*States that do not offer bariatric surgery, nutrition counseling, or weight loss programs in the State Health Insurance Marketplace are:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Florida
• Georgia
• Indiana
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Nebraska
• Pennsylvania
• South Carolina
• Wisconsin

Source

http://nofusa.org/news/health-insurance-cover-obesity-treatment/

[psychprof 141]

Interesting. Many of the states that need it the most, naturally.

[refocus 6]

How is possible that some state allow the surgery and others don't? Total BS. Is there any way to make insurance pay for surgery even if they say they don't cover it?

[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Those states do not deem it essential services. If you have a plan from the Healthcare exchange I doubt you can make them cover something they are not required to cover by law.

[Lucrezaborgia 6]

Wisconsin covers it under Medicaid. They are covering my surgery.

[Kindle 8,667]

Idaho Marketplace plans will cover nutritional counseling only, not any sort of bariatric surgery.

Actually only 23 states cover surgery.

[ANewMe16 43]

I didn't think Texas covers it.

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

How is possible that some state allow the surgery and others don't? Total BS. Is there any way to make insurance pay for surgery even if they say they don't cover it?

According to a phone call I made to my State's (Kentucky) Insurance Commissioner a while back, the requirements are based in state law. To have it included would literally take an act of the state legislature.

[Seastars 175]

I posted a new thread today with more explanation of the disparities between the states here: http://www.bariatricpal.com/topic/367858-which-us-states-dodont-cover-bariatric-surgery-answers-here/

...before I saw that surfergirl had started this thread. So if you want more details, click.

[amgvsg 3]

Kentucky does cover Bariatric surgery, it goes on what insurance you select, and my insurance covers it and I went through the healthcare exchange

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

What insurance do you have? All the literature that I have found says it is not covered in Kentucky. Medicaid plans might cover it since Medicaid is federal and not state.

[amgvsg 3]

I have Anthem Medicaid

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

[Inner Surfer Girl 12,015]

What insurance do you have? All the literature that I have found says it is not covered in Kentucky. Medicaid plans might cover it since Medicaid is federal and not state.

I believe you are correct. It is my experience that the non-Medicaid insurance in Kentucky doesn't have it. Of course, if our new so-called "Governor" has anything to say about it the Medicaid coverage will probably go away, too.

[amgvsg 3]

I'm in the last stages of the process and just need to be approved(praying) I understand about new"governor"

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[OutsideMatchInside 10,166]

Medicaid plans aren't the kind of Healthcare plans we are talking about in this thread.

Medicaid is federal. We are talking about individual or family plans that consumers purchase on the Healthcare exchange for the self employed or people who do not have insurance offered by their employer.