Weight loss surgery legislation
Please read. This urgent to take seriously and to act upon. Do not
wait for anyone else to do this for you.
Lenny
View Current Signatures - Sign the Petition
To: US Congress
IF YOU COMPLETE MY PETITION FORM, THIS MEANS YOU ARE SIGNING THE
PETITION FOR WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY TO BECOME A FEDERAL LAW.
PLEASE…. click Sign the Petition and fill out the form completely.
I will be sending this form with everyone’s e-mail address’ and names
to every congressman and to the President once I have gotten 1000
entries. That’s alot of people and may take a long time to get, but
with your help, we can do it and help others in their fight with
insurance companies!
We will make this Federal Law. Not just a state to state law. Like
myself, some people have problems with insurance company exclusion
policies or denials even though a medical need for Gastric Bypass
Surgery is established. THIS IS WRONG! Through all of my trials and
tribulations and reading of problems with exclusion policies, I
decided to do something about it. So please, I encourage you to sign
this petition and let everyone else who is a supporter of WLS know
about this site!
SAMPLE PROPOSED LEGISLATION:
(Based on a California statute for another medical condition** and
the Maryland State Senate Bill #522)
COVERAGE FOR THE TREATMENT OF OBESITY AND MORBID OBESITY
1. On and after ________________, every healthcare service plan,
contract or insurance policy which is issued, amended or renewed that
covers hospital, medical or surgical expenses on an individual or
group basis, shall provide coverage for the treatment of obesity and
morbid obesity. Every plan shall communicate the availability of that
coverage to all policyholders, whether group or individual
policyholders and to all prospective policyholders with whom they are
negotiating.
2. For purposes of this section, "obesity" shall be defined in the
following terms: (1) "mild" (20% to 40% overweight; body mass index
calculated at 27 to 30) (2) "moderate" (41% to 100% overweight; body
mass index 30.1 to 35; (3) "clinically severe" or "morbid" obesity
(greater than 100% overweight; body mass index greater than
35). "Body Mass Index" shall be defined as the relationship between
weight and height used to assess health risk related to excess weight
based on the mathematical formula that is expressed as weight in
kilograms divided in height in meters squared (BMI=kg/m5). "Treatment
for obesity" means procedures consistant with established medical
practices in the treatment of obesity by licensed physicians and
surgeons including, but not limited to, diagnosis, diagnostic tests,
medication and surgery.
3. On and after ___________, every healthcare service plan which
issues, renews or amends a healthcare service plan contract that
provides group or individual coverage for hospital, medical or
surgical expenses shall provide the coverage specified in subdivision
(a), according to the terms and conditions that may be agreed upon
between the subscriber and the plan. The plan shall communicate the
availability of the coverage to those group and/or individual
contract holders and prospective groups/individual contract holders
with whom the plan is negotiating.
4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to deny or restrict in
any way any existing right or benefit to coverage and treatment of
obesity under an existing law, plan or policy.
5. Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow or enable any
healthcare service plan contract or insurance policy to establish
limits of liability of coverage for obesity, whether mild, moderate
or clinically severe which prevents the policy holder from accessing
medically necessary and appropriate treatment for obesity.
**The majority of the above wording was taken from Obesitylaw.com,
Walter Lindstrom, Esq.
Sincerely,
The Undersigned
View Current Signatures