Switching Insurance Mid-Stream?

[wendy645 1]

Hi all! I've recently gone to my first consultation with my PCP about the band and she's behind me all the way. She wrote me a referral to the nutritionist that I need to call on again (I called before to ask if there was a charge and I got voicemail and never got a call back) and wants me to do a few months sup. diet before trying for a referral to the surgeon.

My insurance sucks and will put up a big fight, I know this. I talked to another lady at the info session who has my same insurance and said you have to do 6 months diet first, then pursue an appt. with the surgeon, and they'll only cover it if it's life-threatening. Ok, so I know where I stand with insurance. This was night before last.

This afternoon, my boss hands me a sheet of paper with a questionnaire because our company is shopping for insurance! I'm kinda excited about this, but at the same time, kinda nervous! How are things affected switching insurance companies mid-stream into the pre-request process? Am I going to have to start all over again once we find out new plan? I'm expecting so, which makes me want to just wait on seeing the doc again on the regular right now cuz the co-pay sucks, but what if we don't end up changing companies? Then I'm gonna have to start all over anyway!

:help:

[Candle 11]

You shouldn't have any problems - just make sure that your surgeon is in-network on the new plan and there's no WLS exclusion.

I switched my insurance plan right before I finished the pre-op testing because my original plan had an exclusion. My employer let me switch plans, they rock!!! I found a new plan that does cover it and my surgery is 8/27/07!!

Good luck.

(I had to do a 6 month diet for my new insurance - I knew about it in advance and started it right away)

[wendy645 1]

Well the part that complicates things is that I'm not telling my bosses I'm getting this done. They're not understanding like that. Nice, yes. Great bosses, yes. But not like this. So I can't just kinda nose around like... Oh hey I need to know ahead of time which plans you're looking at so I can compare them for my own benefit which I'm not going to tell you about, and then hope you go with the one I like! *add sicky sweet smile here*

Things would just be a lot easier if I could have them keep me in mind, but they would freak out. They're fit health nuts. *sigh*

[wendy645 1]

MY boyfriend says there's no use in telling my bosses about it because it's rather unrealistic to think they'll choose a plan based on my needs. I'm the only MO one at the whole company, so asking them to get a rider is just insane. Does anyone know if I could get a rider on my own if it was needed?

:bump:

[Alexandra 55]

MY boyfriend says there's no use in telling my bosses about it because it's rather unrealistic to think they'll choose a plan based on my needs. I'm the only MO one at the whole company, so asking them to get a rider is just insane. Does anyone know if I could get a rider on my own if it was needed?

:bump:

Unless your company is a large one it's very unlikely they'll be purchasing "riders" for various conditions. Most small- and mid-size company plans are off-the-shelf products from carriers. So your boyfriend is probably right.

But there's no reason you can't make your preferences known. Very often employers count their employees' desires as an important part of the decision-making process. Is there a carrier your doctor likes over another one? Try to find that out, and then let your company know, for example, that XXX carrier is better for you just because more of your doctors are in the network (or some such reason). That's something I hear all the time from my clients -- no company wants to make their employees unhappy by switching to a carrier that none of them can use with their own doctors.

[wendy645 1]

I'm just afraid of bringing it up with my bosses... I don't want to get a lecture or that psuedo-helpful "advice" we've all gotten a zillion times. heh.

I took a snoop around the BC/BS website which we MAY go with, and it looks like they'll cover GB, but I don't want that... I wonder if it includes banding? Hmm.

[only4me 0]

Wendy- I think you should tell your employer- you have an opportunity to make a change before they sign a contract. If you dont say anything, you run the risk of them not including the option of weighloss surgery. At least if you say something, your voice has been heard.