Posted by Gremlin on February 09, 2009 at 21:10:45:In Reply to: Re: Consult w/Dr. LW in Dallas, TX posted by silvergirl on February 09, 2009 at 06:54:33:
Wow, I remember how when i posted about my mock-up with dr LW back in 2005, i was very bummed because he was unknown here. I am very pleased to hear of people choosing him. Also, I was the Lone Condor on having the hypernasality, and not seeing any posts re that. Of late, I only had 1 more doc that I had contemplated seeing, it was dr K at Mass General. I had info that he might have been in network with Blue cross/Double Cross.
Well, his staff was not able to say if that was true, and I asked her to MAKE CERTAIN that he knew of my ruined voice and need for an MMA redo. She said he doesnt talk on fone, just to come in for a visit. Again i asked her to check again, because of the $ to see, and that i was going to be mad if i went to him just to be told NO. Well, she finally emailed back that he looked at my records and said NO, he coudnt help me. Nice to save 2-3k or whatever itd cost. All hehad to do was look at my records, so he is not very accesable. Dr LW actually called me on a Sunday morning. So he is the real deal and I will be scheduling the big surg with him and getting ready to empty my bank account . Ye Silvergirl, Bruinmed was talking $30k Im sure. And he has to have it up front. His secretary cites cases of where blucross agrees to payment , then only pays their low "Usual and customary" amounts. She said it can be as low as 4%!!! I emailed Dave Ramsey the money guru about how to handle this. They dont email back, butI know he reads some emails on the air. I have heard of a "Gap Exclusion " , and some of the good people on here have invoked the concept, but I cant get anyone at BCDC that has ever heard of it. So i get nowhere. It is for sure though, I could prove that there would be only a few Topguns that could do my redo surg, and that is when the Gap Coverage is supposed to kick in. If my surg fails, Ill go on disability, I wont live like this even tho i have since 2001. Its also nice to hear the truth re Zplasty. Maybe my waiting (My original mock up with dr lw was in 2005), will pay off, as more surgical experience has been had for fixing hypernasality from LAUP garbage. Good luck Silver and Bruin, keep us posted.