Margie122

I haven't had time to read all the replies but this is my .02 I don't understand why people feel it's ok to shame, bully, humiliate, tease, or be downright cruel to overweight/obese people. It's like because we/they are fat we must be lazy or immoral or stupid. If people could just treat each other with kindness and respect...! Sorry about the rant but it seems like fat people and smokers are the last two acceptable groups to insult, etc.

TXTina you look great!!!!

Hi. It's looking like I will be a September sleever. My last appt with the sleep doc is on 8/6. I changed my final NUT 1 hr visit to that day too. After that they submit the paperwork to my insurance company. The surgeon said it could take up to 30 days for them to hear anything. Even if they hear in a week or two I'm sure with vacations, etc. I'll be looking at September. I can hardly wait I'm so excited to get this done.

NYtrink (Kat), I hope Walter and Kelly can help you! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Please let me know how you make out :confused:

I just got an email from Walter...they're taking my case and I don't have to pay! :whoo::whoo::whoo: This is the best news I've gotten in weeks!!!

My surgeon's office faxed Walter & Kelly at obesitylaw.com all of the information they had including my application. I sent 15 pages to them myself today. Now I have to wait to see if they will be able to take my case (for free) ... or if I will have to pay them to file my appeal. I'm hoping I fall under the guidelines for Allergan (parent company) to pay for them to fight this appeal for me. If not, I'm fully prepared to pay them myself. Waiting is so hard....:faint: Margie

Tomecia, I'm not 100% certain why UHC denied...but I believe it was for not having a 5 year history of weight issues or weight loss...The reason I can't be sure is because they REFUSED to send me their criteria in writing for the lap-band...they would only verbally give me the criteria. The nurse told me something totally different than the initial people I spoke with. UHC (just my opinion) is certainly NOT the easiest insurance company to deal with. I am currently trying to get additional records from when I was in NY to send to Walter & Kelly. So far I've been successful in obtaining OBGYN records from 2001 to 2003, an ER record with my weight on it from March 03, and surgery records from 2004 (ear). Those records, coupled with the info from my surgeon and my PCP records should *crossing fingers* be enough....(Oh and my Weight watchers cards from 06 and 07) Today was the day my surgery was scheduled for....by now I should have been napping in my hospital room, cheerfully drinking Water from a plastic cup and looking forward to Jello *sigh*.... :faint:

The nurse from UHC called me today. It was to "discuss a recent request" and to let me know I had other options like joining a gym (UHC must give some sort of discount) or help with dieting (I think they are launching a new website in 08. When I let her know that she was the first person to call me from UHC and as of today I still didn't have the full story about my denial. She asked me if "I had really given dieting a shot". Gee - I don't know...I've done Weight Watchers numerous times, Optifast, Nutrisystem, Carbohydrate Addicts Diet, Southbeach Diet, etc. and probably spent over $25,000 in my lifetime on gyms, diet crap, etc...but I guess I haven't really given it a shot. I had to tell her I found that INSULTING. To her credit, I don't think she meant to sound so condescending....it's probably some bullshit script they gave her. I'm appealling. My surgeon's office got the application from Walter & Kelly and I'm going in to their office tomorrow to sign it. I had my yearly physical today with my PCP. He's great...I really like him, but I know he's not 100% behind this decision and that is giving me cause to rethink it myself. I will still appeal UHC's decision.....and continue to think on this.... Thanks everyone for thinking of me.

Just got the call today...UHC denied. I knew they probably would, but it's still a blow. Looks like I have to fight them now, but I'm up for it.

Hello... My pre-op diet consists of three Meal Replacements and one meal of lean protein/veg....all of which should not go over 1,000 calories a day. I've been doing it since 10/14...and it's been a real biatch, but worth it since I've been losing weight. I'll find out tomorrow if UHC has approved my surgery....I'm hoping they do, because I really don't want to have to do this pre-op diet twice.

Sherry W - we must have similar sounding last names? We are both Angelic Disgrace's... Oh well! (Better than poison fartgas!)

Mine is "Angelic Disgrace" :car:

Just my .02 so take it for what it's worth. I read your other post. I understand why you are upset. Your surgeon should have had another band (the one you wanted) in backup. Mistakes happen....the band they were going to put in you broke. Were they really going to stop your surgery, wake you up, and ask if it was ok to use the older band? Would you have been satisfied if they just closed you up and said we'll have to do this on another day? Surgery is risky. It was your doctors call. Did you get it in "writing" that you would be getting the specific band you wanted? Like I said...my opinion may not be popular with you - but as my mother would say "get over it". You've been banded and the band you have is perfectly fine. If you make a big fuss at your surgeon's office, you run the risk of alienating the staff...the staff that you need to go back to for aftercare, fills, etc. You're angry - you've voiced your anger...and now you need to let it go. Concentrate on losing weight...and getting healthier. Again - this is just my .02, someone else may totally disagree and that's fine.

You could just drink the diet coke and let people think it had the rum in it or volunteer to be the designated driver.

Stinky UHC people.... Yesterday it was with the nurse... Today it's with "The Medical Director".... If my surgeon's office doesn't hear anything by Monday afternoon, they'll have to cancel. On a positive note, I heard from Walter at www.obesitylaw.org and he said if they do deny me that I've got a good case to appeal! This is what he said... "We are retained to represent patients with certain types of denials, like yours, at no cost to you. If you are denied, your LAP-BAND doctor/program gets the process rolling by getting an application for you to fill in, sign and fax to us with some information for us to evaluate (medical records, insurance communications, etc.) It costs you nothing to work with us through this program. There are some LAP-BAND practices who are very active with this program - others know much less or nothing about it. If I were to guess I'd say your provider may not know about it so you should definitely let them know because they are the only ones who can get you into it....if they don't have any idea what you're talking about, have them call Kelley here and she will walk them through the whole process....all LAP-BAND programs should be aggressively using this service - it doesn't cost them anything either!" So if I'm denied...I'm definately having my surgeon's office call them!