Question:
Does anyone have HealthNet Direct Network Tulare?

I'm looking for someone who has the same insurance that I do, that has either had this done, or is going to have it done, because I'd like to know what Doctor's are avaliable.    — Laydie K. (posted on March 23, 2002)

February 23, 2003
I WAS with Health Net Direct Network Ventura -- there wasn't a single bariatric surgeon in that group. I called Health Net and they were CLUELESS! What I finally did is a bit of research on my own. I figured out what hospitals within a reasonable geographic area to me do WLS (in my case it was Cedars Sinai, Huntington Memorial, USC, and UCLA). Then I figured out which of those hospitals are covered under Health Net groups. For me, all except for USC were covered. I then did a search on HealthNet's web site for "General Surgeon" (Health net has all bariatric surgeons listed under "general surgeon") in the cities where each of the hospitals were. Then the hard part -- I called the doctors' offices and asked them if they did bariatric surgery. I ended up finding a doctor on the list of approved "general surgeons" who happens to be the director of the Center for Minimally Invasive Bariatric Surgery at Cedars Sinai. Then I had to find a PCP associated with the same medical group he was, and call Health Net and switch to that group. I've got my first appointment with my new PCP in two weeks, and have already scheduled the consult with the surgeon for three weeks after that. Good luck to you.
   — Gayna B.