Question:
Will Kaiser Refuse WLS Because Of Ulcerative Colitis?

I have kaiser No. CA, and I have recently been referred by my PCP for WLS and will have my nutritionist & psych appts next week. My PCP mentioned that if you have ulcerative colitis (mine has been in remission for 5 yrs now and is a very mild case) that Kaiser may not approve me. Does anyone know of this happening to them?    — Janel B (posted on June 8, 2005)

June 8, 2005
I have been with Kaiser ga. for about 6 years before recently changing over to bcbs ga. They are good as far as everything you need is right in one building, but wls they will not cover. They will offer you discounts to weight watchers, or send you to a dietician. Trust me getting kaiser to say yes to wls is like saying they serve ice water in hell
   — Big_Sassy

June 8, 2005
It has nothing to do with WHAT THE INSURANCE SAYS. It is how the surgeon feels about operating on a person with ulcerative colitis. You may have to get a clearance from the doctor that maintains your care for the colitis and the surgeon may consult with a gastro doc about your case before you can have surgery. That is what happened to me. I have microscopic colitis, slightly different than ulcerative. You cannot see my condition while doing a colonoscopy, it is viewed with a sample of the tissue taken and looked at under the microscope, hence the name microscopic colitis. I had to get approval from my gastro and the surgeon spoke with another gastro and I had open RNY 2+ yrs ago. But just keep in mind that every surgeon is different and takes everything into consideration for each patient before he or she operates. For example I had one bariatric surgeon say no for my RNY but another one about a yr later said yes, so there is hope for you.
   — ChristineB