Any DS surgeons in California or Utah who accept Medicaid?

[ShmittyInVegas]

Update: I found the search page on ObesityHelpcom and it shows doctors in each state that perform the DS and links to their website. One doctor I found is Dr. John Feng in Palo Alto who also accepts Health Plan of Nevada HMO (which I think is the same as the medicaid here and I am in the process of switching to). I can't find on his website wether he still performs the DS though he has helped authored some scholarly articles on it.

 

[Larra]

Dr. Feng stopped doing the DS YEARS ago!! No one in his group does the DS. Lists on that website are notoriously inaccurate. But I'm glad you're still trying.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Update: I found the search page on ObesityHelpcom and it shows doctors in each state that perform the DS and links to their website. One doctor I found is Dr. John Feng in Palo Alto who also accepts Health Plan of Nevada HMO (which I think is the same as the medicaid here and I am in the process of switching to). I can't find on his website wether he still performs the DS though he has helped authored some scholarly articles on it.

Do NOT believe Obesity Help. Doctors pay to advertise there and are not required to be truthful.

So...if I have this right, you are on Medicaid because of income. So...if you got ANY part-time second job and increased your income just enough to disqualify you for Medicaid, THEN you could buy a relatively cheap insurance through the exchange?

Go to the website, use a pretend name and check availability with different incomes. You might be close enough that a Walmart greeter gig, one day a week, might make you eligible for different insurance.

 

[ShmittyInVegas]

Do NOT believe Obesity Help. Doctors pay to advertise there and are not required to be truthful.

So...if I have this right, you are on Medicaid because of income. So...if you got ANY part-time second job and increased your income just enough to disqualify you for Medicaid, THEN you could buy a relatively cheap insurance through the exchange?

Go to the website, use a pretend name and check availability with different incomes. You might be close enough that a Walmart greeter gig, one day a week, might make you eligible for different insurance.

I'm actually working on that right now. I work in sales, with a small base pay, but the amount of sales needed to increase my pay hasn't panned out like I had been hoping for. The hard part in this field is knowing when to quit and move on to something more promising.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I'm actually working on that right now. I work in sales, with a small base pay, but the amount of sales needed to increase my pay hasn't panned out like I had been hoping for. The hard part in this field is knowing when to quit and move on to something more promising.

Good luck!

 

[ShmittyInVegas]

Finally heard back from Dr. Medvetz in Idaho:

"We could definitely try to get you through with as few visits to Idaho as possible. You would need to come for an initial visit with the surgeon. We could schedule you to see the social worker at that same time. Most of your other pre ops you can complete in Las Vegas like the sleep study, etc. Then you would just have the lifestyle class which we can do the day before surgery so we should be able to get you through with 2 visits to Idaho." But she didn't confirm if they take NV medicaid or not. Just said vaguely a week or so ago that if they agreed to pay for it.

 

[ShmittyInVegas]

Finally heard back from her on medicaid: "Medicaid generally won’t pay for services outside of the state. You would have to get approval from them to have the procedure out of state."

 

[Larra]

It sounds like they will accept your Nevada Medicaid IF Nevada Medicaid will agree to pay for your care out of state. I think that's the big sticking point. Given that Medicaid is a government program (state government) I am not sure they are required to pay for care in another state EVEN IF that care is not available in-state. You need to determine the answer to that question, now that you have a surgeon that is willing to work with what you have.

 

[DianaCox]

"Medicaid generally won’t pay for services outside of the state. You would have to get approval from them to have the procedure out of state."

That is a true statement, of course. But there SHOULD be an exception for services which are not available in NV. You need to keep pursuing obtaining a copy of the CONTRACTS of the two Medicaid plans available to you, so you can understand what the process is for doing this.

 

[ShmittyInVegas]

It sounds like they will accept your Nevada Medicaid IF Nevada Medicaid will agree to pay for your care out of state. I think that's the big sticking point. Given that Medicaid is a government program (state government) I am not sure they are required to pay for care in another state EVEN IF that care is not available in-state. You need to determine the answer to that question, now that you have a surgeon that is willing to work with what you have.

How do I do that?

 

[Larra]

@ShmittyInVegas I think I will defer to @DianaCox on that question. The quick and dirty answer it review your EOC but I don't know if this particular bit of information is in there somewhere.

 

[DianaCox]

You will need to get these documents from NV Medicaid.

 

[ShmittyInVegas]

You will need to get these documents from NV Medicaid.

When I call, what should I ask specifically?

 

[southernlady]

When I call, what should I ask specifically?

Tell them you would like a copy of your Evidence of Coverage detailing all that you are allowed or not allowed under their plan. IF they say that it's online, play stupid and get them to walk you thru the process. It SHOULD be 80-100 pages. Don't let them pass off to you that it doesn't exist.

 

[southernlady]

And this would be the medicaid office correct?

Yes, it would