Good morning Ole T.

It appears you have the correct questions in mind. It can be extremely frustrating to hear different things from different docs. Who is right? My advice is to keep digging and getting opinions and talking to folks (like on this bulletin board) until you feel you understand your risks of: surgery vs. not-surgery. Often the choice is less than perfectly clear!

For example - If some docs say you need surgery and some say you don't - what you should ultimately do is unclear. In my case - I deferred surgery for decades until the combination of a physiatrist plus a neurosurgeon plus my growing physical discomfort said (both highly qualified and using the very best diagnostic equipment) if I deferred much longer I was risking permanent nerve damage. That got my attention and the risk scale tipped decisively toward "surgery".

I did my surgeries at Mayo JAX. My medical insurance combination was fine with them and I can't recall any insurance issues...One thing to consider: There can be several reasons an insurance company might decline to cover a procedure. (1) They might not be convinced the procedure is necessary. You should contact them directly (get a big cup of coffee first - it's usually not a quick call) and ask exactly why they won't pay. They have to tell you. (2) Sometimes insurance companies and medical providers get crossed up and the insurance company can conclude "we can't do business with them". Along those lines. Again - contact the insurer and grill them. You have no other choice than to be your own best and aggressive advocate. I can absolutely remember situations where it took multiple "no's" before getting to "yes".

Have you directly discussed your case with the medical insurance company?