Questionhello. My question, does medicaid cover the lapband surgry on a 15 yr old? He has full medicaid coverage. thank you
AnswerHi Lorie:
It might. I know that's not the exact answer you want, but it's the best I can do. If the 15 year old is morbidly obese (with a BMI over 40), there's a chance medicaid could cover the surgery. (Or if he has a BMI over 35 plus a comorbidity like diabetes or sleep apnea.) Usually, insurance companies do not cover bariatric surgery for teens, but the initial reports out of the Lap-Band Trial for Teens are promising... so you could definitely try.
Basically, you're going to need your child's pediatrician to be on board...and then seek out a bariatric surgeon experienced with adolescent patients.
To figure out BMI, try this website: http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi/
For a good Lap-Band doctor, I recommend asking on one of the Lap-Band Forums such as Lap-Band Talk. www.lapbandtalk.com
You should also check out your surgeon with your state's medical board
http://www.fsmb.org/directory_smb.html
And also check to see if s/he is board certified at
https://www.abms.org/WC/login.aspx
I hope this helps,
Karla
