No surgery for me :(

So I got a phone call from the ashord this morning and it turns out my hospital cover that I've been paying $70 a month for the last year does not cover 30511.
I was booked in for surgery in 3 weeks but I can't have it anymore. Disappointment does not even come close. I've been crying to the point where I can't breath. I rang medibank to sort it out only to be told I need to pay $94 a month and wait another year to have my surgery. Merry Christmas to me.
If only I'd known. My own fault.
I feel for anyone who has had this happen!

Oh, bloody hell - I'm so sorry for you. I can only imagine how devastated you are. You think you're covered for everything, paying a fortune in bloody insurance, and then this. If it makes you feel any better (and it probably won't), we pay about $250 a month for ours...

It helps that I know I'm not not the only one that has not been able to have surgery because if this. $250 wow! I can only afford to have insurance for myself, being a single mum it's such a lot of money down the drain all year for nothing :( im a bit of a wreck, here's hoping the next year goes fast! I love this forum, everyone is so nice. I'll be staying on here, until I get my surgery, and after.

That really sucks but don't worry you aren't the only one.

I got phi oct/nov 2010. Been thinking about surgery for ages and wanted to get braces etc (yeah I'm old for braces lol). In June I contacted phi to inquire about the surgery, I found out that I was covered for surgery as a 'private' patient in a 'public' hospital. Great!!! So I upped the phi to the toppy toppest cover you can get, I pd for the yr and it was about $2k I think (that was with 5% discount).

So although I don't have too wait quite a whole yr, just 8-9 mths. I feel your pain. Just 'call' out if you feeling down, we are here to help each other out

I am so sorry to hear this.


Well, you are still able to book your surgery! one year and one day into the future.

Try to stay positive. The year will go quickly, I know people in here who were in the same boat, and are now just having their surgery.

I know not much can make you feel better at this point. I am so so sorry!

*hugs* Make sure you stay here and talk to us.

Michelle

xxx

Oh, and another thing to watch out for - I remember reading that someone actually checked with their PHI when they joined, but the PHI dropped coverage of the op during the year they waited - so make sure you keep up to date with your PHI.

Oh, and for the record - the amount we pay is a 'couples' rate - it used to be the highest cover until they added a couple of new layers above us and decreased what we were covered for.

Have to say, though, that we've really used it over the last few years!!!

Thank you so much for your support everyone. It helps :) I feel better about it today, I just joined weight watchers ( for the 4th time) so I can get a little healthier during the year. I can't stay like this for another year that's for sure. I tried to call my surgeon yesterday but he's not back until the 9th of next month but I'll be ringing him straight away to reschedule. I will keep you updated, and I'll stick around this forum. I love how helpful everyone is. My sister had her sleeve 3 months ago and my mum is booked in the same day as I was, I think that's why it's hit me so hard, but it's Christmas, my daughter is happy and I'm getting there too :)
Merry Christmas everyone!

I am so sorry you have to wait for your surgery :(, but the year will fly by.

I pay over 3000 a year for my cover, and that is single cover because i was paranoid that i wouldnt have enough cover so i took the best i could get, even then i was still worried and made rang mutual a couple of times before my day to check that yes i was still covered.

hugs
Mandy

Private Health is the biggest rip off.

I am with MBF on a basic singles cover - having my band out soon and having the sleeve. Rang (MBF) Bupa today and I am covered YAY.

Some PHI cover different things. I have heard stories where people have changed PH Insurers and switched to a new provider which covers your cost.

Please ring around and find out. (I know of one lady who was going to have a band and her provider saids no, she rang some other PHI companies and jumped ship to another and had the Surgery 2 weeks later).

Suzy

So sorry for you Milliesmum :( I was done the same month as your sister ... she's really heart broken for you :(

It's good to see that you're going to soldier on and try WW, that's dedication :).

So sorry to hear you can't get your sleeve for another year.

I had a similar thing happen to me as well. I organised all my PHI through MBF, went to book my surgery, was a month off having surgery and found out I had the wrong kind of cover, and would have to pay over $4000 excess, as opposed to if I switched to HBF I would only be paying a $1000 excess.

So I switched to HBF and waited another year. It seems like the end of the world, but you'd be surprised at how quick the year will go.

:( You'll be right sis, doing great on WW so far, keep it up! :)

Hi guys its milliesmum I've got a new username because I forgot my log in details :/ oops!
Well I'm so excited, the year has flown by! I have my last appt with Dr France on Friday and my surgery is scheduled for the 21st of January :D
It's been a long journey, I've watched my sister loose 57kg and my mum over 40kg after being sleeved and while I had to wait the extra year :( but finally it's almost my turn.
I've been calling medibank throughout the year to make sure I'm still covered because I'm a bit paranoid lol but I'm confident nothing will go wrong now.
I can't wait to start optifast because it means I'm almost there lol
YAY!

We pay $181 per fortnight so $362 per month its a lot of money

Wow this seems like forever ago....and now you're sleeved :):)

milliesmum wrote:

So I got a phone call from the ashord this morning and it turns out my hospital cover that I've been paying $70 a month for the last year does not cover 30511.
I was booked in for surgery in 3 weeks but I can't have it anymore. Disappointment does not even come close. I've been crying to the point where I can't breath. I rang medibank to sort it out only to be told I need to pay $94 a month and wait another year to have my surgery. Merry Christmas to me.
If only I'd known. My own fault.
I feel for anyone who has had this happen!

Hi honey,

I am so so sorry this has happened to you....but maybe it just wasnt time....poor darling!!

Oh no that is terrible.

You need to change Insurance Companies.

You can ring PHI hotline and find out if you can roll your PHI over to another fund. I have heard of other people doing this and having Surgery straight away.

Give it a try and see how you go.

Val

milliesmum wrote:

So I got a phone call from the ashord this morning and it turns out my hospital cover that I've been paying $70 a month for the last year does not cover 30511.
I was booked in for surgery in 3 weeks but I can't have it anymore. Disappointment does not even come close. I've been crying to the point where I can't breath. I rang medibank to sort it out only to be told I need to pay $94 a month and wait another year to have my surgery. Merry Christmas to me.
If only I'd known. My own fault.
I feel for anyone who has had this happen!

Not your fault at all....I work in PHI and it should be explained to you..I will inbox you as you may have some recourse....did you have hospital or just extra....

Sara xx

Did you get my PM????

I asked a friend of mine who was in the same situation, and she swapped PHI companies and had her Surgery 3 weeks later.

Please do some homework and call I Select...........

Val

Milliesmum,

I went through this exact same thing. Last Feb went to an information session, and after taking some time to think about it, booked for surgery in June only to find out 2 weeks before my cover covered nothing really....so I hoisted up my cover, and that doesnt become effective until July 12 this year.

I totally understand your disappointment and I know how you feel. I too was absolutely gutted, shattered and beyond repair. I felt as if I had hit rock bottom. For the first time ever in my life I was consumed by sadness, because I felt like I just couldn't get anywhere with my attempts to do the surgery and that I had so many issues against me. Mentally I was ready to go at the drop of a hat, but I was being prohibited by technicalities and bureaucracy.

It is a tricky funk to get out of but I quickly forced myself to look at the positive. It's only 1 more year...you've waited this long. I think the pain comes in because you feel as if you finally have a chance to make it work, as if you've finally found the holy grail of getting better and losing the weight and then it gets thrown against you. Within no time it will get to this point like where I am. I will be making contact with my surgery again as I have been continuously throughout this entire procress to keep them informed of what is going on with my situation and will be making a surgery date soon.

Please just hang in there. It is okay to cry; totally bawl your eyes out, break something, slam your fists on the table. It is totally okay because I did all those things before I called my mum and blubbered to her on the phone and of course, she made me feel better....but its also the prerogative of a female to feel however she wants, with dignity and grace.

Also, visit the forum often and look at some of the positive things people are posting. Seek encouragement from others and don't ever feel like you are alone out there, because you are not, and we are all here with you on our own journeys and yours.

So sorry to hear this - this is like the worst case scenario nightmare from hell. I'm waiting 1 year for my PHI to kick in. I worry because people talk of their cost of health care and mine is only $50 month. I've asked 4 people now who work at HBF if it is the correct cover and just to calm my nerves, I also phoned the surgeon's office and got the item number and their provider number today and phoned HBF to ensure it was fully covered - it is. Val, that's some great information there about changing providers and Milliesmum may be able to get the surgery according to the original plan. Good luck Milliesmum with everything and I hope you get to have the surgery sooner rather than later.

Hi everyone I'm milliesmum.... Just have a new name because I forgot my old log in details lol. I was sleeved 2 months ago today and have lost 20 kg! (need to update my ticker )
I tried a few different things but it didn't matter I still had to re wait the 12 month waiting period ;( but it did go fast. Aerial I was like you ringing my health insurance company all the time to check I was still covered properly for the surgery. It made me feel better lol. You will be covered, I'm about to drop some of my extras so my premiums will cost about what yours do. Hanging on to the rest so I can have my tummy tuck and boob job once I'm at goal :)
So it was a happy ending for me.. Devastated though that I had to wait an extra year while my mum and sister were dropping the weightbut I'm done now and loving it! And pix I cried for a good long while and felt like I was never going to be thin. I pinned my happiness on this surgery and couldn't get over the fact that I had another year of my life to waste being fat and useless. It does awful things to the head. I hope your ending is happy like mine :) no pain and I can eat everything so I'm stoked. This forum sure has been a godsend!

Congratulations Milliesmum, I am so glad you have finally had it done. I just realised today, when I posted the other day, the date was 2011! I will hopefully have my surgery March 2013 - I am anxious as have been reading many posts about PHI companies dropping the cover all together for gastric sleeving. I NEED this - I NEED something to physically stop me from eating, I just can't seem to stop and I'm not even hungry when I eat. About 14 months ago, I entered a competition to attend a 12 week challenge through the gym. Around the same time I was looking at getting PHI and considering a band. When I found out that I had won the competition and I was in for 12 weeks of hell, I decided I could lost weight once again and assured myself I would keep it off. Going full steam, two weeks into the challenge I broke my foot (it's not smart to run at 130 kgs) and this set my back. In the end I lost 10 kgs, but now, 13 months after starting the challenge, I put it all back on plus a little more. No one else in my family is fat - my mum is a size 10, my sibling isn't overweight. I wish I had taken PHI out 13 months ago. What a fool was I

Can't even get my dates right - not 2013, 2014!

Thanks for this thread, it has prompted me to give me to give my PHI a call in the morning and double-check to see if I am covered.  Would be horrified if I wasn't. :(