MADISON (WKOW) -
Brian Ripp can't wait till Monday, when he is scheduled for surgery to remove some excess skin after losing 140 lbs. and keeping it off for the past four years.
"I was 350 pounds," said Ripp. "Right now I'm 210."
Brian says the weight loss left him with loose skin 360 degrees around his mid-section, and that the skin can get irritated when he exercises. he says it even led to open sores at one point.
Brian wanted the surgery to remove some of the skin, but he says his insurance company refused to cover the procedure, saying it wasn't
necessary, even with a referral from his surgeon and family doctor.
"Instead of solutions, they gave me band-aids, if you will. I did
everything they suggested and nothing was helping," Ripp said. "For me, it was about do I have to give up working out, because it was so painful when I ran, elliptical, anything that caused friction in my abdomen area."
After months of trying to get the surgery approved, Brian made a Call For Action and one of the CFA volunteers took up his case. Within a matter of weeks, the insurance company contacted him to let him know the surgery had been approved.
"The first thing I thought was, 'Is this a dream,' cause I'd
fought this since April, trying to get this approved for months and
months," he said.
Ripp's surgery is set for Monday. He says doctors told him they would remove 12 lbs. of skin and tissue.
If you have a consumer complaint and want to make a Call For Action, you can call (608) 661-2727. The phones are not staffed full time, but if you leave a message one of the Call For Action volunteers will return your call.
Or you can fill out the online form under the "Consumer" tab at www.wkow.com
