Eddie started scouring the internet looking for another doctor to perform his Lap Band surgery. He was searching all of Southern California, but was having trouble finding a doctor who would do it with out charging an “administrative fee”. This is the craziest thing I have ever heard of a doctor charging. He was finding that this fee was ranging anywhere from $1500 to $3000. It isn’t something that insurance would cover. I don’t exactly know what it was supposed to cover, but it doesn’t sound ethical to me.
Eddie decided to try Sharp again. Last time they wanted him to go through 6 months of medically supervised dieting, with their food, before they would do anything else. Now he just had to go to an informational meeting, fill out some paperwork and get the process started.
Since the last time he had gone to Sharp, the FDA had dropped the requirements for weight loss surgery. It used to be that you had to have a BMI of 30 AND some other weight related problem, such as Sleep Apnea or Diabetes OR have a BMI of 35+ without any other problems. NOW you only have to have a BMI of 30+ in order to qualify for surgery. Any way you look at it, Eddie qualified. I think the FDA dropping the qualifications has pushed Sharp to lower their requirements also. Just my opinion though.
Even though Eddie attended the meeting at Sharp and he knew he trusted Sharp doctors and hospitals with his life, he was still searching. He ended up finding a place in Tustin with a doctor who has a great resume and background. So in early March 2011 he started the process of having his insurance approval switched over to this new doctor.
But something had been eating at Eddie ever since he went to the informational meeting at Sharp. Did he really want the Lap Band?????
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