LouiseandThelma

I am starting my WL journey at NAS Jacksonville. I was wondering if anyone is having surgery here, who is your surgeon, and what are your thoughts on their Bariatric program. I already have had my first appointment with General Surgery and waiting on the Bariatric Coordinator to call me back.The doctor who I saw and I don't remember his name was pushing hard towards the band. My mind is pretty much made up for the sleeve, I have already been through the requirements once (last year) with Tricare North and was approved but for the Band or Gastric by pass. Thanks in advance!

<p>Lucky1gg send me a private message please.</p>

Lucky1gg I will try and send you a friend request from fb.

Justme13 Sorry about not answering you sooner, but I'm hardly on here anymore. I will send you a private message with my contact information. Nanf1962 and I have both had our surgery in the past 8 weeks. There is a support group meeting not sure about June but July 23 . You are required to make 5 meetings.

I'm April 14 in Florida. I would also like to join the FB page for support. I will pm one of you with my fb name.

April 14

Jeffrey Lord at Sacred Heart Weight loss Center. Good Luck!

Pensacola : Check out Dr. Lord at Sacred Heart Hospital. My brother used him for his band surgery.

Nanf1962 I just returned from Jacksonville today. I have information I can share with you. I will send you a pm tomorrow with it all . Also on the Dec 19th is a support meeting , Starts at 4:30 In the general surgery department. If you can make this one it will be a start, I think you have to have 5 for requirements .

Welcome! I live in Florida down in Key West.

Mrzsmitty2015, I have been thinking a lot about our conversation the other day about if Tricare covers the Sleeve or not. If you go back to the place where you found the requirements for WLS covered by Tricare: Right under this section You have proof of one of the following: A body mass index greater than or equal to 40 kilograms per meter squared (kg/m2); or A body-mass index of 35-39.9 kg/m2 with one clinically significant comorbidity, including but not limited to, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, obstructive sleep apnea, Pickwickian syndrome, hypertension, coronary artery disease, obesity-related cardiomyopathy, or pulmonary hypertension Where it starts the next section: TRICARE doesn't cover the following services: Office visits solely for the treatment of obesity Non-surgical procedures treatment of obesity Nutrition and diet counseling Biliopancreatic bypass (jejunolilea bypass, Scopinaro procedure) Gastric bubble or balloon SLEEVE GASTRECTOMY Gastric wrapping/open gastric banding Unlisted procedures TRICARE Does Cover the following open or laparoscopic bariatric surgical procedures for WLS: Roux-en-Y gastric-bypass Vertical banded gastroplasty (This not the sleeve) Gastroplasty (stomach stapling) Adjustable gastric banding (i.e. adjustable LAP-BAND When you find out on Wednesday if you have been approved for WLS please let me know. You said that you live 30 minutes from the base and maybe that is why they are now covering the sleeve. I thought about that too, to be honest our nearest BASE hospital is 500 miles from us. If we have anything major we are Tricare out and have to travel up to Miami for care which is over 150 miles. If Tricare has started covering the sleeve since the last time I called and checked back in September 2014 I would like to know. Then I wouldn't have to drive 1,000 miles roundtrip, sometimes twice a month to meet the requirements for WLS. 150 miles would be a lot easier and cheaper. When you receive your approval from Tricare this week. The first thing I would ask Which surgery have you approved me for. I hope Tricare has changed their coverage and will cover the sleeve that would be Great! Looking forward to hearing your exciting news this week.

I did all the requirements for Tricare and Johns Hopkins. Now I am starting over again. But this time I'm using a MTF in Florida. I have almost completed my requirements one more month and I will finished up. Hopefully having surgery in Jan/Feb.

Good luck and let me know how it turns out for you. I don't understand why Tricare hasn't covered the sleeve before now. Is she having her surgery at Johns Hopkins Bayview?

Wow! I fought them for a year was told Tricare doesn't cover the sleeve. I called them back in September before I started the process over down here in Florida and was told the same thing. Is your friend in MD?

Mrzsmitty2015, No Tricare and USFAmily does not cover the sleeve. What insurance to you have? Do you go to the base clinic?

I think we must have had the same surgeon and office manager! Tracy?

Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Jenny Eisnberg, I just got into the program in Jacksonville. You have to go to your PC doctor and tell them you want a referral with General Surgery for a Bariatric consul. Do you know if the VA clinic you are close to has a Bariatric program or does the surgeries? That would be your first step, just incase your PC doesn't want to send you. Also Tricare Prime will tell you it isn't a covered service. ITS NOT if you go on the outside. You have to have the sleeve at a MTF.

I called and talked to Tricare and in the case of emergency I go to the nearest ER and I'm covered. I live in Key West so any major medical care for us is 3 to 4 hours up the road in Miami. I understand what you are saying and I have thought about it.

I am driving from Key West to Jacksonville 9 hours one way. Since this is elective surgery for me Tricare will not cover my travel expense. If I have to pay out of pocket for a self pay it's 10,000 -12,000 in Miami. The doctor I saw on Friday was pushing the band, which is covered by Tricare and I could be referred out. So if I have to do the drive it's worth it to have the sleeve.

Are you close to a Military Hospital? You would have to have Tricare Prime to use the Military Treatment Facility, but they do the sleeve. Its worth it to check out. I ran into the same problem in Maryland and found out too late that I could change over to Tricare Prime and have it done at a MTF. We have since transferred and I am just now starting over again. I hope this helps.

cosmicbubbles any news yet on a surgery date?

Just in case no one has answered your question yet . I'm a Navy dependent and just went through the process in Maryland. Tricare doesn't cover the sleeve on the outside, even if you have a referral from your PC on post. I know that Tricare North doesn't up here. You can call Tricare South and ask them what they do cover. IF by any chance you were to move up here to the Maryland area...Do NOT take USFAMILY-Tricare with Johns Hopkin until you have had your surgery at a MTF. They only cover the Lap Band and Roux-en-Y bypass. I found out two weeks before I was scheduled to have my surgery. We are moving this June, so I decided to wait until we are settled, then I will start looking into surgeons. I hope this has helped! Good luck!

JJack929, Yes, USFamily is Tricare. I even called USFamily for WLS benefits and they were very vague on the sleeve. I also wasted a year with JH. I'm now having to wait until late summer or early Fall to have my surgery. We are transferring in 4 months and I don't want the stress of starting the process all over right before a move. Since you were approved for WLS you have up to 2 yrs to have surgery. As long as you still meet their requirements. Are you close to a military clinic? Would it be an option for you to change over to a new PC and try to start the process with Walter Reed? They do the sleeve over there. You already have all the requirements done. If I was staying here another year I would change out of JH over to Tricare (Prime). Its worth the call to the Bariatric Clinic at WR. leave a message and they will return your call within 2 days. They will try and answer any questions you may have. The one thing they will tell you that you have to come out of USFamily. I wonder if you worked with the same financial person at JH as I did. I have requested all of my WL records (2 weeks ago), and I'm still waiting. I wish you luck! Hang in there, its not the end of the road you are just taking a detour for now. Message me if you have any questions. Stormrunnin

Kathy, You are going to have to research the area in Mass. If there is a miltitary treatment facility then you are in luck. But from what Tricare told me they will cover everything except the sleeve. The sleeve is only covered under the MTF, which doesn't make any sense. Are you close to a facility now and how long before you move again? I hope this helps. Don't give up! Jana