Hospital Choices - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

LadyV · 10-05-2008, 03:47 PM

BCBS medical insurance has a listing of hospitals they considered hospital of excellence in our area. this hospital is approximately an hr. away and there is another wls center that is about 15 min. away. Here is the clicker. The drs. who perform the bypass at the hospital of excellence is the same ones on staff at the other hospital.

My PCP suggested that I go to the hosp. of excellence rather than the local hospital which have been doing wls for the past 7 years while the other probably since its conception. With gas prices as high as they are and Im afraid of major highway traffic, I really wanted to go to the one that is the closest to me. If the three drs are on staff at both hospital, would it really make a difference which one I go too.

What reasons would the dr. have; suggesting that I go to the hosp. of excellence over our local facilities if the drs. themselves travel back and forth. By the way, all insurance claims are sent through the H.O.E. insurance office.

Julia_N · 10-05-2008, 04:11 PM

In the case of my insurance, Aetna, I must go to a Center of Excellence for WLS. Make sure your insurance covers it at the hospital you want. Talk to your surgeons and see if there is much difference between the hospitals. Maybe the closer one just hasn't sought the designation yet.

Good luck!

sherry7 · 10-13-2008, 07:54 PM

The Center of Excellence rating is actually more than just the doctors. It's also about the surgical staff, nurses, the facility, the furniture (if it's suitable for large people), etc.

I could have had surgery at a hospital 5 minutes away from my work, and 25 minutes from home. Yes, it would have been much more convenient for all of the pre-op stuff. But I chose to drive into the city, which is an hour or more drive...depending on traffic. I don't regret doing it at all. The difference in gas used wasn't enough to worry about. I don't like traffic either, but I found that my GPS unit made me much more comfortable because I didn't have to worry about getting lost.