Our Story

Lindstrom Obesity Advocacy is now PRIA Appeals, a division of PRIA Healthcare. Lindstrom Obesity Advocacy decided to join forces with PRIA in order to reach more people and continue its mission of helping patients appeal insurance claim denials for medical care.

PRIA Appeals will continue offering patient advocacy and insurance appeals for individuals who have been denied insurance coverage for necessary medical procedures, including bariatric surgery, reconstructive surgery, cancer treatments, and gender reassignment surgery.

The Beginning

Lindstrom Obesity Advocacy was founded in 1996 by Walter Lindstrom after he successfully appealed his own insurance claim denial for gastric bypass surgery. Walter, an experienced trial lawyer specializing in insurance, started helping others who were struggling with their insurance. Those cases, plus his personal struggle with morbid obesity, his battle to obtain insurance coverage for his treatment, and his extensive experience as an insurance law expert, led him to establish a national advocacy practice devoted to helping patients and health care providers fight for access to surgeries and treatments denied by insurance payers.

Our Experience

We have handled more than 10,000 insurance appeals against almost every major insurance company, self-insured plan or third-party administrator in the country. We are the recognized experts in the field and are committed and passionate about helping patients get access to the care they need and deserve.

Walter Lindstrom

Walter Lindstrom has a passion for helping people get the surgery they need, because he has been in the same position. At 405 pounds, he realized he could not care for his new daughter and turned to weight loss surgery but was denied coverage by his insurance company, which he successfully appealed. After some complications and a “revision” surgery in 2003, Walter has successfully maintained a 175-pound weight loss. Walter is now an internationally recognized expert in patient advocacy, bariatric insurance coverage, healthcare reimbursement and professional liability. He is published in several medical journals and has been widely quoted in the media, including Good Morning America, the Wall Street Journal, and People Magazine on issues ranging from obesity discrimination to bariatric surgery reimbursement, malpractice, and practice management.

Kelley Lindstrom

Kelley Lindstrom is a passionate and caring advocate whose pleasant personality hides a toughness that comes out when dealing with the most problematic insurance payers. Kelley has developed relationships with appeals personnel for major insurers all across the country and uses those relationships to ensure patients are getting access to the care they need. Kelley was admitted to practice law in California in 1990 after graduating from the University of San Diego School of Law. She developed a broad-based litigation practice before joining the company in 2000.