I'm a newbie! w/medicare and medicaid

Hi everyone I am a newbie from Greenville, SC. I have medicare primary and medicaid secondary. I am looking for all the advice I can get. I need someone to hold my hand so to speak to get me started. I went to a seminar for one doctors office but they are not a center of excellence yet and I heard medicare has to be at a center of excellence, (that office also needs you to pay $2,000 out of pocket that I really don't have). So please feel free to give me as much advice as possible I will take it all in. Di

Hi Diane!!! Welcome to the board!!! You will find many people here that can hold your hand. You will get tons of info from here and tons of support. My best advice to you is to talk to as many people as you can and research...research...research!!! There are several of us on here from the Greenville area. Several of us have Dr. Bour as our surgeon. We usually get together and meet after his meetings on Monday nights. You can check back here and someone will post where we will be meeting. If you can make it, you should come to one of our meetings. Good luck on the beginning of your journey!!!! It has been an awesome experience for me!!!!! Melissa

Thanks Melissa, I have been researching and have talked to a few people from Dr. Bours office and even went to his seminar, everyone seems so happy, Dr. Bour's office is still waiting to hear about becoming a center of excellence though. So I guess we need to cross our fingers. Di

Di~ We will keep our fingers crossed for you. I love Dr. Bour and would have surgery with him again in a minute. I have heard from many people who have had Dr. Ross in Spartanburg that he is very good as well. Keep your options open and hopefully you can meet with us Monday. I am not sure where we will meet, but it is usually somewhere on or near Woodruff Rd. Someone will post it this weekend or Monday!! Melissa

Hey Diane, First off....welcome to the board!! And be sure to join us on Mondays....watch the board for where we are meeting. Dr. Ross with Spartanburg Regional takes medicare and Spartanburg Regional is a Center of Excellence. The starting point with them is to contact Dianne Smith at 560-6935. He did my surgery and I couldn't be more pleased with him and his staff. Let me know if you have any questions. Hugs, Dianne

Thanks so much Dianne, I will contact them. Do they have a web page too? Did you have to pay alot out of pocket expenses? Sorry for all the questions, I really don't know much about any other place other than Dr. Bour. Diane

Hi, my name is Sherri. I have medicare and am having lapband surgery in Columbia, SC by Dr. Givens at Lexington Hospital--a center of excellence. I am not sure if they accept medicaid if not, you would be responsible for 20% of the Medicare allowable which usually isn't too bad--I'm sure his office can help you. I went to their seminar in September but put off surgery until April 5 because I had to have a complete hysterectomy in January. Below is their website link. Good Luck on your search. Sherri http://www.scobesity.com/about_givens.asp

I will definately check it out my parents live in Irmo so that is feasible for me. Thanks! Diane