MEDICAID AND MEDICARE SURGEONS LIST!
I am having surgery covered by Medicare ( I don't know if they accept Medicaid) by Dr. Rawlins in Spokane, WA
Name: Dr. Rawlins
Facility: Rockwood Clinic South/Sacred Heart Hospital
Phone: 509-838 2531
Address: 801 S 8th Avenue Suite 7070
Spokane, Wa 99204
There are 3 bariatric surgeons at this site: Dr. Bright and a new one whose name I do not know. I assume they also accept Medicare.
Judi Ryker
[email protected]
Judi 409
Good luck! I am still in stage 2 and have been for 8 months due to lack of people that accept mediciad for the psych eval and the dietician.
Name SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON MEDICAL GROUP If they accept Medicare and or Medcaid MEDICARE-YES Phone number 360.213.9955 Facility PACIFIC SURGICAL SPCIALISTS Address 505 NE 87th Ave. Suite 301 Vancouver, WA 98664
ALSO....
Name DR ALPEROVICH If they accept Medicare and or Medcaid MEDICARE-YES Phone number 425.251.5111
Facility ST FRANCIS HOSPITAL, FEDERAL WAY Address 16850 SE 272nd St Covington, WA 98042
I've spoke with both Dr Alperovich's office as wll as St Francis. St Francis indicated that both Dr's Oh and Hirai, but I hsve not spoke with their offices for confirmation.
Dear Mambers,
We at Franciscan Health Systems have a surgeons who accept Medicare and DSHS:
Dr. Ki Oh/Dr Thomas Hirai
Accepts Medicare/ NO DSHS
Phone: 253-275-6030
Dr. Gabriel Alperovich
Accepts Medicare and DSHS
Phone: 425-251-5111
Hope this helps.
Nora Forsell
Bariatric Coordinator
St Francis Center for Weight Management 253-944-6544
St Francis Hospital
Franciscan Mission:
To nuture the healing ministry of the church by bringing it new life, energy, and viability in the twenty-first century. Fidelity to the gospel urges us to emphasize human dignity and social justice as we move toward the creation of healthier communities.
Vision:
We are the South Sound's first choice for healing of mind,body and spirit.
Bariatric Coordinator
St Francis Center for Weight Management
St Francis Hospital
Federal Way, Wa.

After attending one of his seminars last year, I did not recieve the promised intake pack. I called and called and called, and each and every time I actually got through to a live person was asked up front "what kind of insurance do you have? This was also asked at the seminar. After sending a fax to the office manager about not being able to get through to a real person AND not getting an intake pack, I finally got one. When I tried to turn it in and set up a consult, I was denied. After pushing for an explanation, a staffer eventually admitted his practice is a Medicare provider, but they take "only a few cases per year" and there is a 2 YEAR WAITING LIST. If you ask any of the bariatric professionals in the Puget Sound area, they will tell you point blank NO PHYSICIANS who work out of St. Francis take Medicare. except for Dr. Aparovich who only recently re-established his practice. In my case, it was stated in no uncertain terms during my March consult at Virginia Mason Federal Way. Additional evidence was provided just last month when Group Health Bellevue needed to move more than 70 Medicare patients b/c they were no longer part of the COE certification process, and ONLY VM took any of them. Beyond that, Virginia Mason is currently the only provider group in our area which has the magic of being a COE, accepting Medicare, performing RNY in addition to gastric banding, and doesn't have a mile-long waiting list. However, they have only ONE provider who does RNY as a lap procedure, and he is in Federal Way. Overlake Medical Center in Bellevue just had their COE inspection and hope to have their certificate by the end of the year. I have been a part of their program since the beginning of '09, and finally had to go with VM because their COE certification was dragging on and on, and my health was not holding up. Because their group is open to any and all WLS patients from all providers, I am still attending their AWESOME meetings, and switched my post-op care back to the surgeon whom I originally hoped to work with. 

