VA BILL SB541

[Guest guest]

I have some information on the Virginia Bill requiring coverage for

Gastric Bypass Surgery.....

I called Senator J. Lambert, III (Senator from District 9).

He is the main chair of this bill. I talked to the senator

personally and he said it required morbid obesity surgery coverage

for STATE employees. This is a good step forward, but unfortunately

does not help individuals not in the employ of the State of

Virginia. The senator said other insurance policies in the State

were NOT required to add morbid obesity surgery coverage; but

could " if they want to " . I told him then this is of no use to us.

CERTAINLY the insurance companies having exclusions ARE NOT GOING TO

WANT TO. I told him it was meaningless for other Virginians.

(By-the-way...I told the senator I had HEALTHKEEPERS OF VA group

insurance and he said they are the " WORST insurance company in the

world " . Oh well, who knew?)

He asked me to contact Pat Finnerty, Executive Director of the Joint

Commission on Health. He helped chair this bill. I called him but

got voice mail. When I reach him I will share my findings with you.

Here is an summary of the Bill as listed on the legislative website:

SB 541 Accident and sickness insurance; coverage for morbid obesity.

Summary as introduced:

Accident and sickness insurance; coverage for the treatment of morbid

obesity. Requires health insurers,health maintenance organizations

and corporations providing accident and sickness subscription

contracts to offer coverage for the treatment of morbid obesity

through gastric bypass surgery or such other methods as may

be recognized by the National Institutes of Health as effective for

the long-term reversal of morbid obesity. The bill's provisions are

applicable to policies, plans and contracts delivered, issued for

delivery or renewed on and after July 1, 2000. The state employee's

health insurance plan is required to offer the same coverage. The

provisions do not apply to short-term travel, accident-only, limited

or specified disease policies, or to short-term nonrenewable policies

of not more than six months' duration.

Hope this answers some questions. Sorry the findings are not more

favorable for most of us, although I am very

happy for State Employees and their families.

sherry

pre-op

Virginia