hollywrites2u

Hello all, has anyone had any luck with getting their secondary insurance to pay for their surgery when the primary doesn't cover it? My employer provided healthcare insurance is Florida Blue & it sucks. There's an exclusion for everything related to bariatric surgery - no band, balloon, gastric bypass, sleeve, revision, or repair of previous surgeries. My secondary insurance, BCBS Michigan, covers everything. It's a great plan and I hardly had to pay for anything when I got the lapband 20 years ago. I've had trouble with the band & I want to get it removed. I would like to get a revision to a gastric bypass so I don't regain all the weight I lost. I've made some calls to surgeons & was told by one insurance coordinator that if my primary rejects paying for it then my secondary won't pay for it because that's "coordination of benefit". Arrrghh I'm going to see a surgeon in a couple weeks. I haven't seen a bariatric doctor in 10 years (my bad). [emoji44][emoji38] I had talked myself out of the fear of getting a revision to a bypass & now it seems that I can't get it. I'm so mad at my employer for providing minimal, crappy insurance & that having secondary insurance doesn't help at all. Background: I'm 5'5 & 240 now. I was 5'6 & 315 in 2002 when I got the band. I got down to 195 but had saline removed 10 years ago after having some problems. Now I have GERD & some other issues. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Hello all! I want to get my lapband removed because of acid reflux issues. I had LB done in 2001. I saw a surgeon who listened to my complaints and agreed that I should have it removed & recommended getting a gastric bypass to help me lose weight. (I had hoped to get the revision done at the same time but he will only do two separate surgeries three months apart.) I have two concerns. He never did any tests to confirm problems with band and didn't even do a short physical exam when I met him for a consultation. (I thought he would want to feel where my port was and look at the scars from the past surgery). He told me that he'd have his insurance specialist work with my insurance. I didn't think my insurance would cover the removal but they have. The surgery scheduler called me yesterday and surprised me by saying that my insurance approved the procedure and did I want to schedule it in four days! I was shocked. I figured I would need to do the liver shrinking diet for at least a week. Am I being overly concerned? Is the lapband removal such a simple procedure that no prep is needed? The doctor has good reviews and was nice when I saw him. Thank you in advance for any insight/opinions anyone can give me. Holly Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi all, I'm getting my gallbladder and lapband removed on June 6. I read somewhere that there's a (prescription?) drug that you can take after surgery to help relieve the gas pain. Does anyone have any insight/experience? Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Okay, thanks! I wasn't given anything when I had my surgery 20 years ago but thought maybe something had changed for the better. :-) Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

It looks like I need to have my gall bladder removed. I found out that my gallbladder is full of stones. I've made an appt. with the doctor to make sure that he can remove my gallbladder with the lapband. I'm going to find another surgeon if he won't. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Oh wow! That's really scary! I have had my band for 20 years! I had similar issues and had a slippage early on that required a second surgery. I am going to get it taken out next month. I was hoping the down time wouldn't be as bad as when I got it. I don't have a high threshold for pain so I'm concerned with how I'll do. I appreciate hearing about your experience and I'm glad I also made the decision to get it removed. Do you think the issues with the band could prevent further WLS to be more challenging? Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

That's good to know! Thank you. I got it scheduled for June 6. I think I was really put off by "do you want to have surgery in four days?"! Lol Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Did you get the removal and the revision at the same time? Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi, thanks for the feedback! I'll contact the office and ask for the insurance specialist. I have had a hard time reaching a live person. I leave a message and don't always get a call back. My BMI is about 37. I weigh 235 & am 5'6. Overall, I am happy that I got the band. My original weight was 315 lbs when I got the surgery in 2002. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Wow!!! This post really went off the rails! Lol I started shaking my head at the inflammatory responses & stopped reading about 80% of the way through. Some people really like to argue. [emoji38] Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Great tip! Congratulations on being so close to your goal weight!

I've heard carbonation is bad post-surgery because it can stretch the stomach and we're trying to avoid that. Why "no straws"? I've never heard that before.

Great first step and brave of you to face it and share it with others. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi, as others have said, you're not broken. I'm not even approved for surgery and I've noticed that I've been eating more with that idea of, "I better enjoy it now". I'm hoping to get a revision but my insurance is unlikely to even agree to pay for WLS & I'm eating for two. :-o Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi, congrats! Is your doctor removing the band and doing the gb in one surgery? Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Hi all, I'm wondering if anyone has some insight into losing weight before surgery and your BMI being too low to qualify. My BMI is 39.9. The doctor would like me to lose 10-15 lbs. That would bring my BMI down to about 37. I don't have any other medical conditions (High blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea). It seems like 40 BMI or higher is required to be approved by most insurers. Has anyone else run into this situation? My BMI was 50 when I had WLS 20 years ago so losing the pre-surgery 15 wasn't an issue. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Thanks for the reply, Liz. I can't do self pay with my current financials. I didn't even think about it but it's a lapband removal so BMI likely doesn't matter. I want to get a gastric bypass but that's down the road. My approval isn't 100% locked down. The insurance coordinator is contacting my insurance companies. She said they've received approval for my insurance even though the HR dept. at work said they don't cover bariatrics. The surgeon said if my insurance tries to wiggle out from paying then I may well end up in the emergency room and he would do the surgery there & it will cost them even more. [emoji44] [emoji848] Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

The gas cramps were awful when I had my surgery. Did your doctor recommend activated charcoal capsules? I've never heard of them. How soon did you take them after surgery? Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

I've never heard of TAP blocks. Thanks for the tip. I'm going to ask my surgeon if he uses that. I'm a wimp when it comes to pain. [emoji44] Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

That's fabulous! I wrote on your other post & was wondering how you were doing. [emoji16] Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

I hope your surgery went well and you're feeling at least a little better now. That's great that you're motivated and want to exercise. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

Two weeks isn't really too bad. I'd follow doctors orders if it were me but I'm a worrier and wouldn't too afraid to deviate. You'll also have to be on a liquid diet after surgery. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm glad you found a great doctor and are able to get it all fixed! I'll update after I see the bariatric surgeon. If my insurance won't pay anything to remove it then I'll have to learn how to manage the issues in the short term & hope the integrity of the band holds up. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

I don't regret getting the lap band twenty years ago. I weighed 315 lbs. & wanted to get down to about 150 lbs. I got down to around 190 & I felt great! I've had issues with the band & had to have all the saline removed & regained some of the weight so I'm back up to 240. In some ways, I wish I had gotten a gastric bypass but I wasn't ready. I had kids & wasn't comfortable with getting such a radical surgery when they were so young. I made the best decision at the time. Most doctors don't do the band anymore but it has helped me a lot even if I'm having some trouble with it now. Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app

It seems like that's the sad truth of it. One of the staff at a surgeons offive told me that my husband's DOB is before mine (April & I'm December) so his insurance could be considered primary & mine secondary. That made no sense to me. Lol Sent from my Pixel 4a using BariatricPal mobile app