Question for U.S. Federal Employees on Blue Cross.........

[MrZoom]

who have had valve replacement surgery:

Did you have any trouble getting coverage?

I ask because I went through the benefits manual for BCBS Federal and didn't see anything specific about valve replacement.

Granted, there are a lot of things that aren't specifically mentioned that are covered (like the lithotripsy I had in '08).

However, I'm worried they might treat my VR replacement as a "transplant" (I'm getting a homograft valve) and VRs are not listed under covered transplants.

 

[Debbrn]

Sometimes individual employees of an individual insurance company may say that homografts are considered a transplant and are not covered, but I have yet to hear a story that insurance companies have not paid a claim because it is a homograft. When I first called my insurance company they said that homografts were not covered. When I had my employer call, it was not a problem. Some insurance company employees just don't realize that a homograft is not considered a transplant.

Debbie

 

[MrZoom]

OK, thanks Debbie. That was the answer I was looking for. I wasn't sure whether a homograft was considered a "transplant" for insurance purposes.

 

[wxman]

I am a retired federal employee...but was still working in 2003 when I had my AVR surgery. BC&BS covered everything in fine fashion.

 

[marie]

My husband is a retired federal employee and kept his insurance under which I am covered. I had my aortic valve replaced. Medicare was primary and Blue Cross picked up everything else. I didn't come out of pocket for anything.