My cousin is on government assistance. She has Medicaid and it took her 2 months from her first visit to surgery date! This frustrated me because I battled my insurance company for a damn year! Insurance that I pay $200 a month for and have paid them for 10 years and rarely used! I am all about everyone being allowed to get healthy but why is it so hard for us to get approved and others get it, no questions asked, FOR FREE? Sorry, just venting. I've had my surgery and all is well. But I will not soon forget all of the ups and downs of going through my insurance.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I certainly can understand your frustration. I think I would feel the same.

I can understand your frustration too it took me 3 years to get my op and when I was talking to another patient they said 3 months

Sent from my HTC Desire 620 using the BariatricPal App

Politics and beauracratic mess...

Medicaid didn't even add the sleeve as soon as other insurances did but now they did so it's much easier to get approval depending on each stated requirements people always complaining about the government and control but medicaid. At least in my experience used to be quite good overall and still is in many places. It's changed for the worse here in California at least in my experience

Insurance companies are ran by capitalist business ppl...they are trying to make money..not spend it so, it's no surprise we pay high premiums....I pay over $400.00 monthly for mine and still have to jump through hoops..I had to do six months of this and that and I think I was approved on the fast side only because of my high BMI and multiple preexisting conditions. On top of that, my insurance doesn't even fully cover the surgery...covers most but not all! Bahh

Still, I am grateful because if it wasn't for Obamacare, another sore topic, I wouldn't even have my good insurance because before capitalist insurance companies, for the most part denied insurance to ppl like me with pre existing medical issues or charged extreme fees with a long wait period before you got any coverage! Soo the whole hoop thing is more of a problem of them not wanting to pay whereas government medicaid doesn't concern themselves with that as.much since it's not a direct hit.

Bc I'm low income, I have medi cal as well but it's so bad here in San Diego I had to buy my own insurance. They were killing me literally ...I wouldn't trust them to give me bariatric surgery. I hope it's not like this everywhere. My pain specialist overdosed me in a pain med during a procedure and I had a seizure and nearly died. So yeh medicaid/ medi-cal is not always the picnic it seems and maybe my experiences are unique bc I have complex medical problems

Now that I have private insurance, costing me a mint, I go to a hospital that doesn't even accept medicaid by itself. I have top rate doctors and care. It's just not fair

So just some food for thought about things beyond the basic appearance... I understand the frustration for sure but I been on both sides...

Politics and beauracratic mess...

Medicaid didn't even add the sleeve as soon as other insurances did but now they did so it's much easier to get approval depending on each stated requirements people always complaining about the government and control but medicaid. At least in my experience used to be quite good overall and still is in many places. It's changed for the worse here in California at least in my experience

Insurance companies are ran by capitalist business ppl...they are trying to make money..not spend it so, it's no surprise we pay high premiums....I pay over $400.00 monthly for mine and still have to jump through hoops..I had to do six months of this and that and I think I was approved on the fast side only because of my high BMI and multiple preexisting conditions. On top of that, my insurance doesn't even fully cover the surgery...covers most but not all! Bahh

Still, I am grateful because if it wasn't for Obamacare, another sore topic, I wouldn't even have my good insurance because before capitalist insurance companies, for the most part denied insurance to ppl like me with pre existing medical issues or charged extreme fees with a long wait period before you got any coverage! Soo the whole hoop thing is more of a problem of them not wanting to pay whereas government medicaid doesn't concern themselves with that as.much since it's not a direct hit.

Bc I'm low income, I have medi cal as well but it's so bad here in San Diego I had to buy my own insurance. They were killing me literally ...I wouldn't trust them to give me bariatric surgery. I hope it's not like this everywhere. My pain specialist overdosed me in a pain med during a procedure and I had a seizure and nearly died. So yeh medicaid/ medi-cal is not always the picnic it seems and maybe my experiences are unique bc I have complex medical problems

Now that I have private insurance, costing me a mint, I go to a hospital that doesn't even accept medicaid by itself. I have top rate doctors and care. It's just not fair

So just some food for thought about things beyond the basic appearance... I understand the frustration for sure but I been on both sides...

Great post.

I pay for my insurance entirely out of pocket since I am self employed and I went from Dr visit to surgery in 8 weeks. I just picked a plan that I knew that could happen with.

It has nothing to do with her being on government assistance and mostly with the fact your insurance sucks.

I pay for my insurance entirely out of pocket since I am self employed and I went from Dr visit to surgery in 8 weeks. I just picked a plan that I knew that could happen with.

It has nothing to do with her being on government assistance and mostly with the fact your insurance sucks.

actually the five largest health insurers in the country all have waiting periods for bariatric surgery. ANd many employers simply have excluded bariatric surgeries from thier plans. Just an FYI.

@@Stevehud

BCBS doesn't have a waiting period. And since I am self employed I picked a plan that worked for me, not a plan that an employer picked that worked for them.

Why do people harp on what other's have, or get? Seriously, the world isn't about you or being fair to you. I am sure if she gets government assistance you wouldn't want to trade places with her! In a better world we would all have government insurance and insurance rip off companies couldn't screw any of us, but as long as the "me, mine" attitude is all we care about, instead of caring for the "least of our brothers" we will get screwed. Divide and concur and fear is what keeps the insurance CEO's and drug companies super rich.

Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App

Why do people harp on what other's have, or get? Seriously, the world isn't about you or being fair to you. I am sure if she gets government assistance you wouldn't want to trade places with her! In a better world we would all have government insurance and insurance rip off companies couldn't screw any of us, but as long as the "me, mine" attitude is all we care about, instead of caring for the "least of our brothers" we will get screwed. Divide and concur and fear is what keeps the insurance CEO's and drug companies super rich.

Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App

Another great post.

Why do people harp on what other's have, or get? Seriously, the world isn't about you or being fair to you. I am sure if she gets government assistance you wouldn't want to trade places with her! In a better world we would all have government insurance and insurance rip off companies couldn't screw any of us, but as long as the "me, mine" attitude is all we care about, instead of caring for the "least of our brothers" we will get screwed. Divide and concur and fear is what keeps the insurance CEO's and drug companies super rich.

Sent from my SM-N910T using the BariatricPal App

Excuse me.....I'm not harping on anyone. I was simply stating that the approval system is a bit twisted. I am completely happy that my cousin is getting the surgery as she needs it for her health. You want to be negative or *ship* anyone who decides to post negativity then hop off my post. I made a statement about MY insurance. Did I say Medicaid recipients shouldn't get the surgery? No. take a step back. Thanks

Furthermore, if you are one of those Medicaid recipients then I apologize if I offended you. I'm the last to judge.

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Edited November 7, 20169 yr by gustavio

I pay for my insurance entirely out of pocket since I am self employed and I went from Dr visit to surgery in 8 weeks. I just picked a plan that I knew that could happen with.

It has nothing to do with her being on government assistance and mostly with the fact your insurance sucks.

Yep.☝☝☝

And to the OP:

I'm on government assistance and I had to wait six months and complete a long list of things before I could be approved.

Congratulations to your cousin on making what is sure to be a positive step in her life! How wonderful!

You should see if she'd like to join BariatricPal and maybe the two of you could support each other in your journeys?

Sent From BariatricPal App

On the other hand your family member is having major surgery without proper education or preparation. Wait a year and see which one of you is more successful.

@@Aggiemae just because you don't wait months to have surgery doesn't mean you aren't prepared. I went from first visit to surgery in 8 weeks and I am very successful.

The waiting period for surgery is useless and harmful and it still doesn't stop people from making bad food choices, not understanding math or physics.

I pay for my insurance entirely out of pocket since I am self employed and I went from Dr visit to surgery in 8 weeks. I just picked a plan that I knew that could happen with.

It has nothing to do with her being on government assistance and mostly with the fact your insurance sucks.

Yep.

And to the OP:

I'm on government assistance and I had to wait six months and complete a long list of things before I could be approved.

Congratulations to your cousin on making what is sure to be a positive step in her life! How wonderful!

You should see if she'd like to join BariatricPal and maybe the two of you could support each other in your journeys?

Sent From BariatricPal App

Already done

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@Aggiemae just because you don't wait months to have surgery doesn't mean you aren't prepared.

Agreed. A lots of patients (the majority?) educate themselves about WLS before even making the first contact with a surgeon.

The waiting period for surgery is useless and harmful and it still doesn't stop people from making bad food choices, not understanding math or physics.

I wonder if there is actual evidence (real evidence, not just personal opinion or some kind of gut feeling) that patients who've had waiting periods and pre-op programs and whatnot in general really do better after WLS.