Weight loss surgery legislation

[Guest guest]

Please read. This urgent to take seriously and to act upon. Do not

wait for anyone else to do this for you.

Lenny

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/07221976/

View Current Signatures - Sign the Petition

To: US Congress

IF YOU COMPLETE MY PETITION FORM, THIS MEANS YOU ARE SIGNING THE

PETITION FOR WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY TO BECOME A FEDERAL LAW.

PLEASE.... click Sign the Petition and fill out the form completely.

I will be sending this form with everyone's e-mail address' and names

to every congressman and to the President once I have gotten 1000

entries. That's alot of people and may take a long time to get, but

with your help, we can do it and help others in their fight with

insurance companies!

We will make this Federal Law. Not just a state to state law. Like

myself, some people have problems with insurance company exclusion

policies or denials even though a medical need for Gastric Bypass

Surgery is established. THIS IS WRONG! Through all of my trials and

tribulations and reading of problems with exclusion policies, I

decided to do something about it. So please, I encourage you to sign

this petition and let everyone else who is a supporter of WLS know

about this site!

SAMPLE PROPOSED LEGISLATION:

(Based on a California statute for another medical condition** and

the land State Senate Bill #522)

COVERAGE FOR THE TREATMENT OF OBESITY AND MORBID OBESITY

1. On and after ________________, every healthcare service plan,

contract or insurance policy which is issued, amended or renewed that

covers hospital, medical or surgical expenses on an individual or

group basis, shall provide coverage for the treatment of obesity and

morbid obesity. Every plan shall communicate the availability of that

coverage to all policyholders, whether group or individual

policyholders and to all prospective policyholders with whom they are

negotiating.

2. For purposes of this section, " obesity " shall be defined in the

following terms: (1) " mild " (20% to 40% overweight; body mass index

calculated at 27 to 30) (2) " moderate " (41% to 100% overweight; body

mass index 30.1 to 35; (3) " clinically severe " or " morbid " obesity

(greater than 100% overweight; body mass index greater than

35). " Body Mass Index " shall be defined as the relationship between

weight and height used to assess health risk related to excess weight

based on the mathematical formula that is expressed as weight in

kilograms divided in height in meters squared (BMI=kg/m5). " Treatment

for obesity " means procedures consistant with established medical

practices in the treatment of obesity by licensed physicians and

surgeons including, but not limited to, diagnosis, diagnostic tests,

medication and surgery.

3. On and after ___________, every healthcare service plan which

issues, renews or amends a healthcare service plan contract that

provides group or individual coverage for hospital, medical or

surgical expenses shall provide the coverage specified in subdivision

(a), according to the terms and conditions that may be agreed upon

between the subscriber and the plan. The plan shall communicate the

availability of the coverage to those group and/or individual

contract holders and prospective groups/individual contract holders

with whom the plan is negotiating.

4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to deny or restrict in

any way any existing right or benefit to coverage and treatment of

obesity under an existing law, plan or policy.

5. Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow or enable any

healthcare service plan contract or insurance policy to establish

limits of liability of coverage for obesity, whether mild, moderate

or clinically severe which prevents the policy holder from accessing

medically necessary and appropriate treatment for obesity.

**The majority of the above wording was taken from Obesitylaw.com,

Walter Lindstrom, Esq.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

View Current Signatures