wendy645

Hey Az Banders!

I just got approved for AHCCCS and was wondering if anyone has had any luck or experience with them. I'm praying they cover it!

My last insurance company pretty much told me too bad so sad sucks to be your fat ass! :reddevil:

Any experiences? :banghead:

Hi! I'm in AZ but I thought I'd share this with you... I just lost my job and insurance. I went to one of the clinics in town and talked to their Patient Financial Services reps. I told them I'd just lost my job and insurance but was feeling a bit under the weather, and I asked them if they could help me get on Medicaid so I could be seen. I brought with me all my info, my ID, Passport, bills, last paystubs, residency verification, a letter from my boss saying I was no longer employed or insured, and all that. They did my application right there and they said that Medicaid had a couple more things they needed from me and would call me. They called me the next morning and finalized my application which had been put through as "Expidited" because I'd needed to go to the doctor and therefore had an outstanding medical expense from the day I applied.

Basic thing is, my suggestion is to call a local doctor's office and ask if they have a Patience Financial Services rep. Ask that person if they can help you apply in their office because you feel under the weather. Sprained your ankle. ANYTHING that will get you in the system at the doc's office and they'll have to put the app in as "Expidited" and be able to give you a determination as soon as you provide everything they need, so you don't have to wait forever. Otherwise, you'd have to go to the Medicaid office, fill out the paperwork, wait a week for an appointment, then wait for a week while they determine your eligibility and send you an approval or denial letter.

Go online and search for your state's Medicaid site and it'll have a list of things you need to bring with you (ID, bills, paystubs, etc.) and take it all to the doc's office.

Best of luck!

The fact that you were on it recently should help, too!

I was wondering the same thing!

Wow... that's so very kind of you! Good on you! :-D

Well I have Mercy Care right now... and I call them Merciless Care for a reason. They don't cover it, but I'm not sure about AHCCCS. I'm actually voluntarily cutting back my full-time job in this recession to be cut from Mercy care to qualify for AHCCCS in the hopes of getting my healthcare taken care of for prices I can afford :-(

Best of luck!

I see this was posted on your band date! Congratulations! How did it go? :-)

If you were to be in charge of naming an organization that awards grants for wanna-be bandsters to get this done when their insurance says no and they can't otherwise afford it, what would you name it?

Ready... go! :tongue2:

I'm surprised nobody has answered. Most of the Arizona bandsters live in Phoenix, but I saw in another one of your posts that you were looking for a support group. That was 6 months ago so you've probably found it, but every third Tuesay there's a support group recommended by the Flagstaff Medical Center's Bariatric Program. It's in the same plaza as Bashas' by the hospital (not the Bashas' by WalMart), toward the left end of the plaza. I think it's next to a pizza place. Ironic. LOL

It's been over a year since I was in that room so forgive me if my directions are poor! For better info, you can call the FMCBP at 214-3737. At that group you can surely meet some people willing to get together for a bandster's lunch :-)

Good luck!

I can't believe this hasn't had crazy replies since the last entry!

If money were no object:

I'd be banded!

I'd buy Microsoft, Sprint, AT&T, etc. and keep all staff so nobody would have to worry about keeping their job after the buyout.

I'd buy my mom her own place and a reliable car (right now she's in income-based apts and her car runs about 5 times a year, not for lack of trying)

My boyfriend and I would have one heck of a wedding-savings account!

We'd have a new house built to our specs in my favorite neighborhood in my hometown, and another in Tucson, a city we both love.

We'd both also have reliable cars.

I'd buy a place for my best friend who's like a sister to me.

I'd fix her car.

I'd donate to the local Domestic Violence shelter, which saved my mum's life.

I'd have one heck of a retirment account.

I'd put massive amounts in CDs for later.

I'd set up a fully-funded college fund for my god-daughter.

My boyfriend and I would tour the world, taking in everything we always wanted to.

I'm whisk all my closest friends and family away to a fancy spa and spend several days resting, relaxing, and being pampered. And I would, of course, make sure they didn't miss out on any wages while they were gone!

I'd buy all the hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. And I'd set it up so that each one's profits went to a different charity, though it would not be public knowledge.

Makes sense! Neat, thank yuo for sharing that! :smile2:

Well, don't go for Mercy Care Az.

*sigh*

Best of luck!!!

I don't have much to offer besides my support. I was denied, too, so I'll be keeping an eye on this thread. Best of luck!!!

I've told my mom, fiancee, and best friend I'm pursuing this, but nobody else. I plan on telling everyone I'm having hernia repair surgery. Then later if people ask me how I did it I'll feel out whether I say I watch what I eat and exercise (which will be true) or the truth. I'll have to play it by ear.

OMG I could have typed this message word for word! I wish there were replies, because I was wondering the exact same thing :-( Have you heard anything else? Please PM me if you do!!!

Thanks, you guys. I feel so down. My insurance company told me basically that with the exclusion there's no way they'll pay for it and they have no riders and essentially it sucks to be me.

And I don't qualify for any other insurance companies because I'm too fat! I mean, I could get coverage if I paid, oh, 90% of my salary each month!:thumbup:

I don't have the money to self-pay. I live paycheck to paycheck, which you'd think would mean I could lose weight but nooooooooooo somehow I just stay within the same, oh, 8 lbs or so. I am the only one who supports my family of 3.

I know deep down that this would be the key to helping me change my life, but this really sucks.

Oh, hey! Has anyone got any experience with having any other surgery and having the ins. cover it then paying for just the band itself?? Because I believe my ins. would cover a hiatal hernia repair (which I think I have, will look into it more soon) but if I can pay the difference in installments, I could sure afford that more than the whole surgery! Anyone? Please? :confused2:

I went to a center that does Lap Bands and did a free consultation. They said I was one of the best candidates they'd ever seen (given my weight, enthusiam, preparedness, etc.) but then when they called my insurance they denied it. They said there was an exclusion and there was no way they'd cover it.

Am I just screwed? I can't afford to hire an attourney (which is why I was depending on insurance so much; I can't afford this!).

This was the one light for me in turning my life around. I can't do this alone. I know it isn't a cure; it's a tool. A tool I need. I can't build a house without a hammer, y'know?

I have a BMI of 45 so that isn't the issue. It's just that the insurance company (Mercy Healthcare.... not very merciful...) SUCKS. They're a company for small business partially funded by the state of Arizona and they're tanking. They are refusing to take on any new people, and they tripled our rates at the beginning of the year.

I'm so frustrated. I cried my eyes out at the clinic and felt like a total moron. I'm sure the insurance lady had seen tears before, but I bawled. I felt like such a doof!

Do I have any options when there's an exclusion? The insurance lady told me there was no other plan that covered it that I could buy, either, they simply refused to pay for it. Am I as stuck as I feel?

You know what REALLY sucks? Since I'm so fat, I don't qualify for any other insurance without:

a) quitting my job and drawing State Insurance

:teeth_smile: paying $600/mo premiums

WHAT THE HELL?! What is someone supposed to do? I feel so very very lost... I don't know what to do... I just need someone to talk to, I suppose. Anyone been there? Anyone gotten through Mercy Healthcare's bullcrap? :-(

Oooh that was very helpful, thank you so much! We haven't heard if we're going with BC/BS yet but I love reading material. Thank you!!

Tracy I just wanted to pop in and say thank yuo for posting your beautiful picture in your sig tracker!

I think I would have a pig-out day, but only one among a pre-op diet. It would not be intense, just probably 3 meals I'd miss that I'm thinking I may not be able to do again. I have no clue what yet, snice I'm barely dipping my toes in the PCP visits thusfar!

gh0st I just wanted to say you look fabulous. Like a whole different person, and happier, healthier, and more radiant

I was wondering the same thing. How far away is that for you? My doc said the pre-cert diet is kind of a way to dissuade some people, and she recommends dieting only lightly so you don't appear like it's easy for you to lose weight so they have grounds to deny you.

I'd bring up your concern with your PCP and see what s/he says about it. They know how to play the insurance game.

how are you 8/20 bandsters doing?

Many people ask:

. "Should I tell my family and friends?"

It's up to you. In an ideal world, everyone would love you and support your decision to have life-saving surgery. But this is the REAL WORLD, where some people just can't keep themselves from making nasty, hurtful, ignorant and insensitive comments to people. If you don't want those comments, or are not strong enough to NOT CARE what other people think, DON'T TELL THEM!

Personally, I fall into the first part of that... just don't want the comments. I think I'm strong enough to handle them, I'd just rather not The number of people who know has grown to my mom's best friend and mom's therapist, but it's OK because I know they both support me, and neither is going to say anything. I think I should nip it in the bud with my mom, though. I understand she wants to share this major thing with two people she vents to, I just want to make sure she isn't telling everyone, she kind of has a tendency to do that.

I have to say, though, I was blown away by someone's comment they weren't telling their husband. I can't imagine NOT sharing something like this with your spouse/sig other. But, that's just me, I guess. No judgement, just a wide eye kinda like that guy LOL

I just wanted to pop in and say hi, and wish you all well. I'm 24, and glad someone started a 20's thread, because I have this weird identity crisis thing goin' on... I know logically I'm in my mid-20's, but still feel like a teen on the inside.

Anyway, I've been overweight since I was 7 years old, and really suffered through school emotionally because of it. The fact that you guys are taking control of your health earlier on in life is awesome, and I wish you all the best, because stupid people will try to bring you down over flaws, but at least you know you're doing something for yourself, and the self-esteem that comes from that is priceless!

Last night in an intimate moment, Chris told me he'd be glad when I had my Lap-Band. At first blush, I imagine people would think this was an insult, but it was because I'd finally be more confident and happy with myself, and closer to seeing myself as beautiful as he sees me, and be able to enjoy myself more in bed because of it. I didn't even think of it as an insult, and it led to a nice talk about the band between the two of us I love him more each day!

On another note, I really hope that my employer figures out our insurance situation soon, because Chris may be going to the Bahamas for work and I'd love to have some confidence when I visit him!

Thank you for sharing that! As a pre-bandster, every word of information and experience I can gather is extremely welcome! Please do keep up updated in similar fashion your recovery and progress!!