Re; Drs & Cost
Hi all!<br><br>This morning I posted asking ?’s
about the surgery and contact The Ontario Health
Insurance Plan and found out that it is classed as COSMETIC
EVEN with health problems.<br><br>I contacted several
Dr.’s offices and found out that non of them are taking
patients until the middle of next year and that the
patients have to be over 400 lbs (I’am 260 lbs) and in
SEVERE MEDICAL CRISIS.<br><br>Also, they told me that to
open you up it is covered by our OHIP - NO INSURANCE
PLANS COVER IT - and for the initial operation it costs
$10,000. I have the $$ but can’t get anyone to do
it.<br><br>Looks like I have to find an alternative route cause I
really don’t want to wait until next summer and I really
can’t afford to have it done in the USA.<br><br>If
anyone has any suggestions please let me know.
<br><br>Thank you<br>Deborah
September 24th, 2004 at 4:07 am
i don’t know where you are from, but i had the
surgery and i weighed 250 the day of my surgery ( lap
rny) and I am five feet tall. My doctor has done over
200 of these surgeries and many many more of the open
ones. His name is peter Rovito, and he is in allentown,
PA. I have PA blue cross and blue sheild and they
cover EVERYTHING, including plastic surgery later if I
need it. A doctor telling you 260 is not a candidate
is full of crap. FAT IS FAT. My BMI was like 53,
enough to kill me. I know Dr. Rovito is booked into
January, alot of docs are now, as all of us fat women are
going bezerk for this surgery. Good luck, contact me if
you want- Michelle<br>9 weeks to day, 30 pounds
gone!!
September 27th, 2004 at 5:40 pm
I am in Ontario as well and everything is covered
by OHIP, and I am under 400 lbs. Not all surgeons
make that stipulation. <br><br>You will have to get a
referral from your doctor faxed to a surgeon (probably in
T.O. if you’re close enough) before they will even
talk to you. For the surgery to be covered by OHIP you
have to have a BMI over 40, considered morbidly obese,
and have tried everything else to try to lose
weight.<br><br>You might already know this but I thought I would
pass it on. It is the information that i have been
going on since August ‘01. If you’re serious about
having it done in Ontario, be prepared to wait. My
consult is in Feb.’02 and I got my referral in August. If
I could have had it sooner, it would have been nice
but at least I have a place in line, that is better
than nothing.<br><br>Sorry you’re so
frustrated.<br>Kabana