Lizbeth

Be encouraged, I am not sleeved yet and I am still trying to get approved. This is a journey and there are so many others that have gone through what you are dealing with now. Know that here you have support. I will pray for both of you. Stay positive!

Tricare says the MTF needs mor info before they can approve me for the VSG at the MTF. Any ideas of what I can give them that will help get this done? Tricare said Fort Gordon wants 6 months documented attempts of excercise, diets and meds. Doc has meds list so thats not a problem. Are they looking for food journal and excercise logs? I have a weight watchers thing with my wegh-ins on it from 2009, will that help? Any info would be helpful, just trying to get this done before my husband is unavailable due to military stuff at the end of this year. Thanks so much everyone!!!!!

So I talked to Tricare and the MTF is requesting 6months of documented attempts of meds, excercise and diets. Any ideas of exactly what they are looking for exactly with the excercise and diet? If they are looking for foodjournal and excercise journal that I can give them. My pcm knows my meds so thats no problem. Any help on this would be great!

So I called Tricare and they said Fort Gordon MTF needs more info to approve the VSG for me like 6 months of documented attempts at: diets, meds and excercise. So the doctor can take care of meds, I have my weight watchers receipts with weigh-ins and a reciept for a gym membership. Do you think the receipt and weigh-in from WW is enough or do I need to give them my food journals as well? Also before I joined the gym (only did 3 months there) found it to be a waste of money since I worked out at home and with friends. Would my workout journal be enough? Any help would be great as I have an appt. wed. oct 26th to go over these things with my pcm.

Hello All, Any info will be helpful.......I am the spouse of an active duty soldier. I am trying to get a VSG at an MTF. The issue is I do not see an on post doctor and my MTF does not do bariatric surgery. I have found an MTF 4hrs away that does the surgery my civilian PCM is on board, I am having an issue getting approval for the MTF. My PCM sent a referral to Tricare and it was denied, she has sent it a second time and hasn't gotten an answer back yet. So my ? is has anyone else had this issue and how do I go about getting this done? Please Help.

From what I understand you can have the sleeve done at an mtf. But tricare does not cover the vsg at civilian providers. I am not sure about revisions though.

O.k. I have Tricare Prime and see a civilian pcm. She is on board with me getting a vsg. She submitted a referral to tricare for me to have a vsg done at an mtf. Tricare denied the first one so she has submitted another a different way. Still waiting to hear. Can anyone please tell me how to get this done.... My mtf (Ft. Benning, Ga.) doesn't do the surgery so I am trying to go to Fort Gordon, Ga about 4hrs away. Does anyone know how to get this done. Tricare tells me they don't have anything to do with an MTF and the MTF tells me that the referral has to go thru Tricare. I am so frustrated and upset as this is going on 3 weeks of going in circles to get no where. My husband deploys in December and I really wanted this done by then. Please help me I am not sure where to go from here. I make a bunch of calls and just get transfered from person to person. Has anyone transfered MTF"s with a civilian pcm to get this done?

Ok people if I have a civilian doc and have to get reffered to a mtf for the surgery 4hrs away does the refferal go to the mtf or tricare?

Congrats so happy for you!!!!! Keep up the good work!!!!!

So my Dr. is going to submit my referral to Tricare to go to another MTF for surgery. I am praying this goes through. It is really frustrating that Tricare does not cover the VSG as it is less invasive and seems to have less side effects than a bypass. I really need to get this done. I really don't want a medical history like my parents and looking back I kinda wonder if my Mom had PCOS. With the health issues she had it kinda puts some things in perspective. I am hoping this goes right through and I can have this done before my husband deploys at the end of the year. So any prayers would be very much appreciated.....Hugs

So a small stall in my process. Tricare does not cover the surgery,however I can have it done at an MTF but the closest one is 4hrs away in Fort Gordon so my Dr. is getting things together to submit a referral for that hospital. Please keep me in your prayers everyone. I am hoping to get this approved and done before my husband deploys at the end of the year. Thanks....Hugs

Thanks so much, I would love to hear how your progress is going.

Can anyone tell me what hoops I will have to jump through to have this done at an mtf. I kinda want a rough time table from start of process to finish. My bmi is 38.1....I have high cholesterol, pcos and hip and back pain. I am about 100 lbs overweight depending on what charts you look at. Was hoping that the process didnt take to long since the hubby will be deploying towards the end of the year, I would like to have it done before he goes.

Thanks, I called Fort Gordon and they said my pcm has to send a referral to tricare for fort gordon. This makes no sense to me!

So I don't have to change to a base pcm. I have a civilian pcm but my mtf doesnt offer the surgery. How do I get to be referred to another mtf for this? The closest one being Fort Gordon about 4hrs away. Is it even possible to do that? Help please....

O.k. so frusrated. I called tricare back with the cpt code (43775) for the vsg surgery once again to see if what they said earlier was true and nope they were wrong. Its not covered unless done at an mtf. My mtf does not do it so I have to find one close to me to see if they do it. I live in Phenix City, Alabama stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia so if anyone knows a close mtf that offers this pleases share!!! The man on the phone told me tricare has nothing to do with the mtf as they dont file claims with tricare so he couldn't tell me if I could have the surgery at another mtf and how to go about doing that.....grrrr So this puts yet another stall in the process! HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats, excited for you. I'm just starting my process and hope it goes fast.....Good luck and hope to meet you on the losers bench!!!!!

Congrats!!!!!! Hope your doing well......Can't wait to hear how your doing in your journey!!!

Thanks so much.....Congrats on your surgery.....I hope I can get this approved and fast. It seems like once you make the decision it goes so slow. But my Dr. said she thinks I am a good candidate for this and thinks I shouldn't have any trouble getting it. Heres to hoping and praying. Thanks so much excited to hear about your progress!!!!!

Well I had my appt. with my pcm today and she said she would give me a refferal with no problem. O.k. next hurdle, I have to find a surgeon that I want to do my surgery. I need one near Atlanta, Ga. as there is none in my area (phenix city, al) so if anyone reads this and can help that would be awesome....so until then I will do lots of research!

Want to find a good surgeon in Atlanta, Ga that will do my VSG.....Anyone have their surger in Atlanta and had a goo experience, please tell me about it.......thanks

Hello I am from Phenix City, Alabama and I need to find a surgeon for my referral. I would have it in Atlanta, Georgia. My pcm said she would give me a refferal but I would have to find a Dr. that I wanted. Please help, thanks......so excited to get started!!!!

I will let you know how it goes. I will also ask my friend to post her experience on here as well. It would be pretty crappy if they are approving some and not others. The best of luck to you!

I'm in Phenix City.......I am from upstate N.Y. and ended up here due to a military move. Hoping to have surgery just starting the process. Just hoping to meet some others and share our journey.

I was told by tricare yesterday you could get approved with a civilian provider if your mtf does not do the procedure. I have an appt. tomorrow with my pcm to try and get a referral for the vsg. I am almost 100 lbs overweight have pcos, high cholesterol and some joint pain. I was told by a friend who had a vsg via tricare that I should qualify for the surgery with no problem. Hoping it goes well. I will keep you all posted on my journey.