Question:
I have insurance now and if I get on my husbands insurance will I have to wait a year?

I HAVE BCBS OF ALABAMA AND I AM ABOUT TO LOSE MY JOB AND I WAS JUST WANTING TO KNOW COULD MY HUSBAND PUT ME ON HIS, AND ME NOT HAVE TO WAIT FOR A YEAR BEFORE I HAVE THE SURGERY. I WENT TO SEE A SURGEON IN AUG. AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE MAY 2002 BEFORE INSURANCE WOULD PAY BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE ON YOUR JOB FOR 1 YEAR BEFORE THEY WILL PAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANY HELP I CAN GET...    — April P. (posted on November 2, 2001)

November 2, 2001
You doctor may be misinformed... I switched to United Healthcare in January and was approved for the surgery in early March. How long I was with the insurance made no difference because it was a group policy and therefore no pre existing conditions clauses. From your information given it would appear that you would be switching from one group policy to another group policy which means they shouldnt be imposing any pre existing conditions on you. I have noticed that doctors who dont specialize in doing many of these surgeries have more problems with the insurance companies than larger centers or surgeons who specialize in this procedure. Maybe that is what has happened in your case. Find a surgeon who does a higher volume of these surgeries and see what they have to say about your new insurance company. In fact, I would look up the new company on this website under 'insurers' and see how others have done with the new company. Otherwise you may want to keep your old insurance under 'cobra' and do the surgery with them then switch. Hope I have helped you.
   — SusanMaria

November 2, 2001
I was on medical leave when I had my RNY and knew I would not be returning to work, so I made a point of keeping my own insurance until AFTER my surgery and the first two follow-up visits. I went on my husband's insurance after that, and they had no problems covering expenses related to my surgical follow up care. They cover all my visits to the bariatric surgeon for follow up, no questions asked. Hope this helps. Good luck.
   — Maria H.