Does your insurance plan change in December?
Friday October 09 2009posted by Adam - Total Comments: 0
Many people have insurance plans that change in December, so if you're planning to pay for LAP-BAND surgery with insurance, now would be a good time to take the next steps to get approval before your plan changes, especially if your new plan doesn't include bariatric benefits.
On the flip side, if you don't have baritric surgery benefits (including LAP-BAND Surgery), now may be a good time to talk to your HR department about getting them added on to next year's plan.
If you're in the first group (with bariatric benefits, but may lose them), you really need to start working now to get your insurance approval. Normally, we get a rush of people in December who want to move forward before the end of the year, but unfortunately surgery approval does not move that fast. Sometimes your insurance company has requirements that need to be meet before you can proceed, and your surgeon or anesthesiologist may also require additional tests before your surgery to ensure your safety.
All of these obstacles take time, so please don't delay your next step, whether it's a first appointment, a physician assisted weight loss program or a required medical test.
If you're in the second group (without bariatric benefits, but with a new plan year beginning soon), you should talk to your HR department about adding bariatric benefits to your insurance plan. Not only can weight loss surgery help improve your productity by reducing your number of sick days due to related health conditions and often improved confidence that comes with weight loss, you can also save the company money in the long run if you can lose enough weight to reduce prescription expenses.
Allergan (the makers of the LAP-BAND Device) has a nice printed item about why employers should consider offering bariatric benefits. I have a limited supply on hand, but if you'd like one, email me at (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address), and I'll send you a copy.