Looking for WLS friendly employer in Tidewater

Hello everyone, I hope maybe I can get some insight as to employers in the Tidewater VA area (Norfolk, Va Bch, Chesapeake) that actually cover gastric bypass surgery.  After seeing the success of my Mom (5 years post op, Dr. Hutcher in Richmond) she is truly a inspiration for me and due to some co-morb's showing up I decided to take the plunge and attend a seminar for the Norfolk Surgical Group... only to find out my employer does not have the rider and will NOT be getting it. Sooo... it's going to be my employer's loss ;)  I guess I will be looking for a new job with a company with better benefits.  I am sorta stuck on how to find this information out.  Can anyone share a story of who they work for in this area that covers it?  Anything at all would be helpful, at this point I don't know where to start! Thanks and much luck to you all... Thank you for also sharing your stories here at OH, the wealth of information is awesome!

Wow, there are sooo many employers around this area. What kind of work are you looking to do? There are also loans geared specifically for medical procedures. All the best, Jen

Thanks for the quick reply, Jen :) I would probably be looking for call center/customer service since I have the most experience with that.  I have looked at USAA and CapGroup for starters, but the problem I have is asking specifically in an interview if something like that is covered.  It's sort of a red flag to the HR dept thinking that someone might be taking time off for a major surgery soon.  Since reading the insurance forums on here, I learned the best thing to do is mention you are looking for better benefits and ask for the group number and insurance phone number to call later about.  However, most insurance companies want to pull your information up in the system before giving any answers.  So, I thought asking people that have been through it on here might be a good place to start!  Do you know of any big names off the top of your head? Unfortunately, like most people, I am tapped out and have no room in my budget for an additional loan (plus it scares me that complications might arise and the bill goes sky high). Thanks again for the help!  (Glad to see there is a HR group on the forums, too!!!) Cherie

Hi!  I have a friend who had WLS and she was covered because her husband was military, but she decided she did not want to wait so long, so she got a job at Dollar Tree, the home office in Greenbrier, and she had WLS a few months after she started working there.  She did have some out of pocket expenses that she would not have had with the military, but it was not bad.  She used Dr. Spencer @ Tidewater Surgical. Hope this helps. Christina

Hi Christina!  Thanks for the info, I will be checking out what Dollar Tree has available! 

Both the City and Verizon carry the Gastric Bypass Rider. It does take some work to get hired at either place though. I was hired full-time by the City on April 16th of last year and I had my surgery on July 19th. Very quick! Good luck with your hunt.

Thanks Amber!  Another great resource to check into!

Just to update everyone on this topic (it might be helpful to someone in the same situation as me!) I spoke to my surgeon's office today (Norfolk Surgical Group, Lola helped me) about a list that they might have of employers.  She did not have anything formal in writing but was able to tell me that Sentara employees don't have the surgery as an option and confirmed again what Amber told me that City of Va Bch employees do. Still looking, still searching, if anyone has more info- please share! Thanks and Good luck to all!

I know for a fact that Verizon's insurance plan covers the surgery.  It does take a little while to get hired there. (I used to work there)   If you want, I can get you information on who to call to start the application process.  Send me a pm if you are interested. -Stacey

Thanks Stacey,  I sent you a PM!