WLS – Researched Links – Here for You.

I am a researcher.  I think my innate ability to do extensive research on topics of interest to me, or on topics that are needed in the work that I do, can lead to many “interesting” discoveries… at least for me they are “interesting discoveries”.  It is like being a “Gooney” and finding the treasures of “One-eyed Willy”.  LOL.  I just absolutely love doing research!  I also love to write and I have been thinking about writing some articles over the information that I find through research on WLS and all the many hundreds of sub-topics that come along with it.  Problem: there are many hundreds of sub-topics that come along with it!!! I may still write articles but for now… I want to share the “actual” articles that I find on these topics with you.  Main reason: to help aid the research that you may need to help you in the “appeal process” should you have to unfortunately do one.  Even at this very moment I am not sure if I will have to do an appeal of my own, but if I do… I will be ready.  So… I have made main topics below and under those you will see links to various articles.  For articles that I don’t know where to put under a main topic I put them under “Hodgepodge” to go with the theme of my blog.  The article name and the link will be found… no article reviews at this time because I could write (and have actually written) reviews that are longer than the article itself.  Those that know me well are probably sitting there thinking… “I am sure she has!”  LOL.  :O)  I have incorporated the link into the name of the article, however if your browser does not pick that up then feel free to copy/paste the web address found below the article name.  If you find a broken link please send me a comment so that I can fix it.  I am leaving the ability to post comments here so that if anyone has any other links that they like and want to leave for others they can do so.

OHHHH… and one last note…. Some of these links may contain information in them relating to INDIANA law and laws in other states please know that I am in no way posting these or advocating any mention of laws as legal advice.  If you do not understanding something in relation to a law you have read about in the state of Indiana, or any other state, through a link found on this or any other page in my blog please contact legal counsel and ask them as I cannot answer questions relating to law.  I have only posted these links in an effort to help educate and inform about this procedure.  Thank you.

ENJOY & come back often as I am sure I will add more.

~Tammy~

~INSURANCE and COST~

NO MEDICARE PAYMENTS – IF YOU HAVE MEDICARE YOU WILL WANT TO READ THIS!

http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/Article/data/09SEP2008/0809HHN_FEA_CoverStory_SB1&domain=HHNMAG

An Ounce of Prevention

http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/Article/data/04APR2008/0804HHN_FEA_Wellness&domain=HHNMAG

Preparing for Gastric Bypass: Insurance and Payment

http://weightloss.about.com/od/obesityhealth/a/bl_gastcost.htm

Health Insurance Information from MedLinePlus

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthinsurance.html

How to get your health insurer to pay for your weight-loss surgery

http://www.insure.com/articles/healthinsurance/weight-loss-surgery.html

Research Report – Obesity: A Big Problem Getting Bigger

Click to access Obesity-Big-Problem-Getting-Bigger-RR03-01-04.pdf

• THIS 32 PAGE REPORT IS PACKED FULL OF VERY INTERESTING RESEARCH INFORMATION. Don’t forget to check out page 15.

Obesity Task Forces and Insurance Coverage

http://www.cga.ct.gov/2005/rpt/2005-R-0160.htm

Health Insurance Coverage Mandates in Other States – Prepared by the North Dakota Legislative Counsel – INFO ON ALL STATES THAT HAVE MANDATES

Click to access 39125.pdf

Reporting of Complications from Surgical Treatment of Morbid Obesity

Click to access iac_title(1).pdf

YOU WILL WANT TO SEE THIS DOCUMENT – LSA Document #06-139

http://ai.org/legislative/iac/20070117-IR-410060139EIA.xml.html

Health Costs and Insurance Claims Less for Morbidly Obese after Bariatric Surgery

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS159823+08-Sep-2008+BW20080908

Anger Erupts Over Insurance Company’s IQ Test for Weight-Loss Surgery

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,246519,00.html

• For those who have BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, my condolences go out to you if your policy requires this. WOW… this is sad.

Insurance Information & Costs

http://www.newimageweightloss.com/surgical/insurance/index.html

~RISKS~

Capital & Candor

http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=AHA/PubsNewsArticle/data/0402HHN_FEA_Surgery&domain=HHNMAG

Understanding the Risks of Weight Loss Surgery

http://surgery.about.com/od/beforesurgery/a/RisksofWLS.htm

Regarding Surgical Mortality Statistics

http://gastricbypass.netfirms.com/surgicalmortalitygwclark.htm

YOU WILL WANT TO SEE THIS DOCUMENT – LSA Document #06-139

http://ai.org/legislative/iac/20070117-IR-410060139EIA.xml.html

~SURGEONS~

When to Call Your Surgeon after Weight Loss Surgery

http://surgery.about.com/od/aftersurgery/a/CallMDWLS.htm

Regarding Surgical Mortality Statistics

http://gastricbypass.netfirms.com/surgicalmortalitygwclark.htm

***********************************

Since I believe that it is important to trust your Doctor(s) I am going to give you some very cool information that I have researched and found on my own surgeon: Dr. Christine Gupta.  I have only the links listed below I am not going to go through and put titles on them as they are all links that have information about her or from her in them.

http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/bariatric+surgeon+profile+Christine+Gupta+kgq.html

http://www.stvincent.org/ourservices/bariatrics/center/physicians.htm

http://www.carmelsurgical.com/go/our-surgeons/dr-christine-gupta.html

http://www.surgicalreview.org/locate.aspx?state=US-IN#srchResults

http://www.ucomparehealthcare.com/drs/indiana/general_surgery/Gupta_Christine.html

**************************

~PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSESSMENTS~

A Primer on Bariatric Surgery Assessments – Bulletin of Psychologists in Independent Practice

http://www.division42.org/MembersArea/IPfiles/Spring07/assessment/bariatric.php

• NOTE: IF you are seeing Dr. Inman or Dr. Evanson you will want to read this article, especially the first part under the section heading “What to Include in a Psychological Evaluation”. BUT, the criteria listed in this first part is also what is required by Dr. Gupta as well it is the standard for St. Vincent Bariatric Center of Excellence in Carmel as this first section follows the requirements of the General Surgery of Central Indiana organization. The author of this article makes reference to Dr. Inman and Dr. Evanson, however, please make sure you understand that even though they are mentioned and their particular requirements for psychological evaluation are mentioned the concept and theory of the author are not necessarily reflective of Dr. Inman, Dr. Evanson or Dr. Gupta’s.

Bariatric Surgery: Treating Obesity and Comorbid disease – I.U. MEDICAL GROUP NEWSLETTER

Click to access Dec%2006final.pdf

• SEE page: 5 (lower half of the page) for article relating to Psychological Assessments.

~CENTERS of EXCELLENCE~

Who sets the standards for bariatric care?

http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/Article/data/07JUL2008/0807HHN_FEA_ClinicalMgt&domain=HHNMAG

“What’s Required” for a Bariatric Surgery Center to get the designation as a “Center of Excellence”?

http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/Article/data/07JUL2008/0807HHN_FEA_ClinicalMgt_SB1&domain=HHNMAG

Capital & Candor

http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=AHA/PubsNewsArticle/data/0402HHN_FEA_Surgery&domain=HHNMAG

~VITAMINS & SUPPLEMENTS~

Vitamin and Mineral Recommendations for RNY Post-ops – NOTE: THIS IS A .pdf FILE.

http://gastricbypass.netfirms.com/vitamins-mineral-recommendations.pdf

• I want to make a comment about this .pdf. If you have ever wondered what the importance various vitamins and minerals play within our system you will really get to see that here in this document. It is not a long document but it is a very good one to have on hand. It is also a good starting point document for further research on how important these vitamins and minerals play individually. Don’t be surprised if at some point I don’t post research reports that I may write discussing this.

~AFTER WLS~

25 Tips for Success after Gastric Bypass Surgery

http://surgery.about.com/od/aftersurgery/a/25TipsWLSurgery.htm

Pouch Rules for Dummies

http://www.amylhwilliams.com/pouchrulesfordummies.html

~TAX DEDUCTIONS~

Internal Revenue Service – Publication 502

http://www.irs.gov/publications/p502/ar02.html

IRS allows tax deduction for doctor-approved weight-loss

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/taxes/2004-03-01-weightloss_x.htm

CBS News – IRS OKs Weight Loss Tax Deduction

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/03/01/health/main603233.shtml

Form 1040 tax deductions for medical expenses – Lists what qualifies and what does not qualify

http://www.revolutionhealth.com/insurance/information/pay/tax-deductions

Insurance Information & Costs – INCLUDES INFORMATION ABOUT TAX DEDUCTION

http://www.newimageweightloss.com/surgical/insurance/index.html

~DIABETES and the benefit of Bariatric Surgery~

An Ounce of Prevention

http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/Article/data/04APR2008/0804HHN_FEA_Wellness&domain=HHNMAG

Regarding Surgical Mortality Statistics

http://gastricbypass.netfirms.com/surgicalmortalitygwclark.htm

Bariatric Surgery: Treating Obesity and Comorbid disease – I.U. MEDICAL GROUP NEWSLETTER

Click to access Dec%2006final.pdf

• There are sections all throughout this newsletter published by I.U. Medical Group that talk about Diabetes.

~HODGEPODGE~

“Size Matters” – could be an article that you could use to help in an appeal…check with your surgeon as to if they think mentioning this could help.

http://www.hhnmag.com/hhnmag_app/jsp/articledisplay.jsp?dcrpath=HHNMAG/Article/data/05MAY2007/070508HHN_Online_Weber&domain=HHNMAG

Just the FAQs of Gastric Bypass

http://weightloss.about.com/cs/gastricbypass/l/blgastfaqs.htm

The Top Ten Reasons why Weight Loss Surgery is NOT “the easy way out”

http://gastricbypass.netfirms.com/wlsnoteasyway.htm

Weight Loss Surgery – Info from MEDLINEPLUS

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/weightlosssurgery.html

MAYO CLINIC report on DUMPING SYNDROME

http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/dumping-syndrome/DS00715/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all

YOU WILL WANT TO SEE THIS DOCUMENT – LSA Document #06-139

http://ai.org/legislative/iac/20070117-IR-410060139EIA.xml.html

Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases – OFFICIAL JOURNAL of the AMERICAN SOCIETY for METABOLIC and BARIATRIC SURGERY

http://www.soard.org/home

Indiana Department of Health – Morbid Obesity Information

https://secure.in.gov/isdh/23441.htm

Bariatric Surgery: Treating Obesity and Comorbid disease – I.U. MEDICAL GROUP NEWSLETTER

Click to access Dec%2006final.pdf