Does anyone feel that WLS is going to be harder and harder to get approved. I know some plans have dropped requirements; but, I just have an inkling (is that really a word) that after the frist of the year, things are going to start really tightening up. No facts here just my intuition kicking up a little bit. LOL

I would certainly try and get it done ASAP if you are really interested. Just my opinion.

What does everyone else think?

I totally agree with you... I think that what you said it is EXACTLY what is going to happen... I am waiting for my insurance approval as we speak :thumbup:

i agree also with you guys.because the waiting list just keeps getting longer, an longer. it seems like more people are signing on for the surgery.some people have to be on a waiting list.

I disagree. Until there is a better treatment for obesity, isurance companies will essentially be forced to cover WLS, because it works. (and a major company just dropped the 6-month diet requirement for their approval of WLS, essentially making it EASIER to get, not harder) The lengthening waiting list doesn't mean insurance companies will drop coverage, it means there is a shortage of docs trained to do the surgery, or an overage of patients needing/wanting the surgery! That shows an increase in demand or a need for more supply. With surgeries like the lap band, people like me who would never have had RNY bypass are now getting surgery and losing weight and getting healthier. It will only increase, and insurance will step up to pay, until/unless they find a way to treat it with pharmacotherapeutic agents.

Doctors are starting to find out about WLS, especially Lap Band, and how it can be a great benefit in reducing and eliminating a lot of the diseases that come with obesity. My PCP said he was against any kind of WLS until he went to a seminar a few months before I saw him. He was impressed at how well it knocked out diabetes for a lot of patients. He was gung-ho for me to get it. I think if enough doctors learn about it, they'll recommend it for their patients, and that will compel insurance companies to cover it.

I think if Obamas healthcare plan gets passed then we will be struggling to get WLS even with our own insurance plans. Thats why I am doing this now, and not waiting any longer.... Just my opinion...

I think it is the possibility of Obama's plan getting past that has given me the opinion it may be getting harder to get.

Just in MHO the insurances companies in the U.S. have never done too much to help our health care.

My insurance company did drop the 6 month diet requirement and I am really glad. That is why I am going to take advantage of it now while the getting is good.

Insurance is a business, not an altruistic endeavor. They need to make money or they close. Period. And it isn't generally in their interest to pay for WLS when employers change policies frequently to keep costs down (because most employers also have to goal of making money. No one starts a business saying "I want to do this so I can buy great ins. for my employees")

I sure hope that WLS is more easily approved.

I think it will help a lot of people.

I know when mammograms first became more popular my insurance did not cover them. I had to pay out of pocket; but, it was worth it to me.

Here is a case where insurance did come through and are paying for more women's mammograms.

Maybe weight loss surgery will be the same.

I wonder.!!!

I wonder what it costs the ins companies to treat diabetes, heart disease, and a multitude of other medical problems? What's cheaper - WLS or a heart attack? The National Inst of Health says a tiny percentage of people effectively lose weight thru dieting. Insurance actuaries are no dummies. They know it's cheaper to allow WLS then shell out a lot more to treat weight-related diseases. That's why they're easing up on requirements. A single payer (govt) health care system would likely offer WLS. Medicare is a govt single payer system for folks 65 and older and it allows WLS. In fact it set the guidelines for WLS requirements that insurance companies follow (BMI, etc.) So, I think the govt and the insurance companies agree it's a cost-effective solution to obesity. (IMHO)