"Elective Surgery" - A Hitch

So I'm facing potentially my first real barrier.....while my boss felt that I would be approved to access my long term sick days for this surgery - her boss is now saying that if it is an elective surgery the management is less likely to approve it and that I need to get a note from my doctor saying that it is a required surgery.

What are the chances that my doctor would actually do this?

That is probably going to depend on your doctor, some would, some would not.  Was he supportive of you going this route?  Probably depends if you have any serious co-morbitities.  I can't get medical services to return my call so I can ask them even basic questions about mine.

Good luck.
Julie

You do not get approved for this surgery without a medical need for it.  Why do you think we are going through all the hoops?

You have a medical condition - obese, morbidly obese or super morbidly obese.  The surgery is to assist you to recover from this medical condition.

If I was in your spot, I would ask the surgeon for a note. 

Good luck,

Judy

I asked my doctor to refer me for surgery but she was extremely supportive of it. 

I don't have any serious co-morbidities - no diabetes, no high blood pressure, no cholesteral problems....nothing major. 

its not an elective surgery. end of story. if you meet the requirements for surgery, its not elective.

something that is not covered by ohip, like the lapband, may be considered elective, but not  rny or vsg or something like that

RNY is actually considered elective surgery - that does not mean it isn't 'medically necessary' and that is what I would focus on - if you must. Do you work for a small employer? Most employers cannot inquire into the nature of your surgery or sick leave as long as you present a document that says you are undergoing medically necessary treatment with an estimate of how much time off is required.

Most people misunderstand what elective actually means (some equate it with cosmetic or optional - which is NOT at all the same), here is a definition:

"Elective surgery - surgery is necessary but the patient can be sent home and the timing of the procedure can be scheduled"

Elective surgery is the third tier of medically necessary surgeries; Emergency, Urgent, and Elective. These different classifications only speak to the immediacy with which the surgery is prioritized. Other examples of elective surgery? Knee or hip replacement, gall bladder removal, certain cardiac procedures including stents, carpel tunnel release surgery, etc. If they would cover sick leave for any of these surgeries but not gastric bypass they are explicity discriminating against you.

Tell the idiot to bite you!!  Who is she to tell you or anyone else what is and isn't elective surgery?  I would ask to see their medical degree and to get their heads out of their asses!

The fact is that other people posting is right- OHIP isn't going to pay- and haven't paying millions of dollars if this was 'elective'- we aren't talking about a boob job here- we are talking about your life.  My G*d, we can no longer get OHIP to cover getting our eyes checked, or for that matter any dental work covered- trust me- if the province didn't see this as a long term benefit in the procedure- they wouldn't be paying for it.  If you jump through the loops- and the determination is you are a candidate for the surgery- it's a 'required' surgery.

I would have just told them  I was going to be off for medical reasons- and produce a Dr's note- then they wouldn't have said a word- and couldn't.    This is another example of the general public being 'obesity ignorant'- and employers shouldn't be allowed to dictate what is and isn't a proper medical procedure.

B

ps- sorry- this really ticked me off- give me their numbers- I'll call them!!  lol

 

When the time comes, get a letter from your SURGEON...not your General Practitioner.  The letter will state:

PinkJellyBean will need to be off for a period of X number of weeks.  (timeline will be dependent upon your job duties, and there may also be a ‘light duty’ stipulation in some cases) 
  Signed, Dr. Dougie Howser, MD. 

PERIOD!      It is my understanding that if you have a Dr's note, you are good!  ANY surgery that is SCHEDULED is generally considered elective; otherwise, it's EMERGENCY surgery.     My father's Quadruple bypass was categorized as ELECTIVE, as it was scheduled, and he WAS delayed because a critical patient needed the surgeon's attention, and was prioritized.   I think the word 'elective' gets misconstrued for ‘optional’ which isn’t the same thing!!    Yes, you can say no, so in a way it is optional, but it’s not as if anyone can decide to have any type of surgery on a whim! (Cosmetics excepted)    My dad CHOSE to have his cardiac surgery...keep that in mind when you are defining your surgery!!    Just sayin'  ;p

Yep - you're exactly right. See me note above as well. All elective means is SCHEDULED... non-medical people do not generally understand this, elective has a very specific medical meaning. Tell your supervisor that you are having medically neccesary surgery and that your surgeon's office will provide a letter stipulating how many weeks you will need to be off - that's all you need. Like I said, if they would cover a gallbladder removal or a cardiac stent or orthognathic surgery, or a knee or hip replacement, etc, etc, etc, or any other scheduled rather than emergency surgery, but not your RNY, it is plain discrimination. My guess is that your supervisor is probably just ignorant of the meaning of 'elective' when applied to surgery. You've got nothing to worry about.