Hi Misty,
It sounds like you are on the right path to arrange payment of your ADR surgery overseas. My insurance (Health Net) wouldn't pay for it here in the trial or so far are they considering paying for my surgery which was done last August at Stenum.
I am not conversant with BCBS; however, I will be soon as I am changing my insurance from the HMO to BS of Cal PPO starting May 1. So I can�t help much there but there are some others here on the forum that has posted about BCBS paying for it. I guess you can try the search screen to find those.
If I may without upsetting you, a word of caution about Stenum. I had my surgery done in Aug 04 in a group of 10 Americans. Out of that group 4 of us have had to have revision surgery of some kind. Mine being a complete removal and implantation of a larger size. The first one had sunk into my vertebrae.
I returned on Oct with one of the persons who were in my August group. She had a Dynesys fusion performed to help straighten out her crooked implants that caused her vertebrae to go lopsided. After my surgery I woke up to a problem in my left leg, which was an occlusion to my left iliac artery. I am now 4 months post op and still waiting for my next surgery to bypass this closed artery so I can walk again.
My HMO has messed me up, so I changed to the BS PPO so I can go anywhere and get this done. It is a complex surgery which has a limited success and a high risk associated to it. The thing that has me very upset is that people like you are being marketed through the GETADR site and they show that Stenum has had zero revision surgery and zero vascular injury.
This is deceptive advertising. Not to say you can't go to Stenum and get a successful ADR surgery others have. Even in my group in August there are 4 to 5 that are doing OK. But I feel that hiding the truth and misrepresenting the truth is a major road sign to hold up and get more data about Stenum. I am probably the worst case that Stenum has performed.
So take this for what is worth and I hope you find the best ADR doctor and hospital for your situation. Of all the ADR doctors I interviewed here and abroad, only Dr. John Regan was very truthful and honest about his ADR errors.
Thank you and the best,
Willie
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