Question:
Will UNITED HEALTH PPO pay for this type of surgery?

after losing almost 200lbs my arms and belly are horrible looking..i have got to get this skin removed..anyone know a good plastic surgeon in Houston, Texas?    — tylerswife (posted on May 5, 2003)

May 5, 2003
Lots of luck. I've not noticed anyone being approved in TX the past 6 months with UHC. They received my appeal today so time will tell. I would surely start running to the dr. for every little rash and getting documentation. Congrats on the wonderful weight loss!
   — lessofme170

May 6, 2003
I can understand the previous poster's frustrations. However, not every UHC policy is the same. It all depends on the employer's plan which they purchased from UHC. Establishing medical necessity is the key in any case. I strongly suggest you visit the Yahoo group for post-op WLS patients discussing plastic/reconstructive surgery at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ossg-plasticsurgery/. They are a very supportive and informative group. You'll see that overall I think you'll have a 50/50 shot with getting approved by UHC the first time around. I know I am waiting for my approval for an extended abdominoplasty & brachioplasty (arms), scheduled for June 30th. Don't give up! Even if they deny me first time around I will appeal and appeal again if I have to. Only way we're going to make insurance companies accountable is to not give up. So your first step is to find out if your version of UHC has a specific exclusion regarding plastic/reconstructive surgery. Good Luck - Anna LAP RNY 7/3/02 -126lbs.
   — Anna L.