Gastric Bypass and Social Security Disbility Medicare Medicaid?

Hi everyone!!

 I've been gone from here for a bit!  Life has been crazy as my husband was laid off right as I had submitted all of my paperwork to the surgeons office!  He was FINALLY rehired and we now have insurance again but instead of the original $500 it is now going to be $250 plus 20% of the hospital/doctor fees!  OUCH!  I did just get approved for Social Security disability but i'm not sure how the medicare works.  I think i'm eligible in March of 2010.  Can anyone tell me if medicare/medicaid covers this surgery and if so what did you go through?

 Thanks!!

Michelle K

I used medicaid.  I had to do 6 months of doctor supervised dieting.  They wanted a list of my comorbitities.  really was pretty uneventful.

Hello, I am on Social Security Disbility also..I also have AARP Supplement Ins. (it pays the 20% Medicare doesn't pay, it costs me $140.00 a month..but well worth it)..I gave my surgeon my ins. infro and they did the reast...I haven't paid a penny toward my surgery...I guess Medicare and my AARP paid everything..My surgery was on 3/16/09...Let your surgeons ins. personnel do the rest..But you might want to look into supplemental ins. (Medicare pays 80% you need someone to pay the other 20%)...AARP starts paying the same month you sign up, also pre existing conditions) check it out if you can afford it..No co-pays for me...I didn't even have to do any pre op dieting..or phys. evaluation...Good Luck..."Lucky"in Pa..

I too am on disability, and have Medicare as my secondary ins., and a policy from my husband's work as primary.  The primary would not pay at all, but all I paid was $489 to the Dr., and Medicare paid the rest.  My surgery was 2 years ago this month.  Medicare will not pre approve you, you have to go ahead and have the surgery, then they will let you know if they pay.  I had complications and my original bill was $64, 000.00, and it took me calling them a couple of times, but they did pay.  The Dr.'s office and the hospital were very helpfull.  You have to have your surgery at a Center of Excellence in Bariatric Surgery for them to pay though! 
Good Luck!...........Lisa

 Hi there, I notice you are in Albuquerque and we have a support group and I am pretty sure there are a few people there who went through the same insurance. YOu should try to make it to one of our meetings and ask all the questions you can. The NEXT meeting is:
June 11th Meeting Thursday

Where:  Marriott Pyramid  I - 25
When:   June 11 th, 2009
Time:     6 P M
Facilitator:   Beckey Turhune,MSN,Las Palmas Bariatric Clinic         Coordinator   915-521-2151 

then the following week, much more informal meeting is:
Wednesday June 17, 2009 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm   Location: Northside Presbyterian Medical Building Street: 5901 Harper DriveNorth East City State Zip: Albuquerque NM 87109

Feel free to message me if you have any specific questions.