LittleLou

Hi Everyone,

I'm here from the November Sleevers group... had a little glitch with insurance so now I have a tentative date of 12/2:)

Can I be added to the Facebook group?

Doesn't it bother you that your insurance coordinator failed to submit two of the biggest requirements that CIGNA has? And not just CIGNA, but I think most insurance companies require the PCP letter and psych eval. I just don't understand how that happens.

Congratulations!

$600 up front for admin fees? That is just insane! Yes, here's to hoping we're both sleeved very soon! I look forward to the day I don't have to deal with the coordinators at the office, just the practitioners!

$600 paid for my NUT appointments (3 of them), psych eval, appt w/ the surgeon... basically all of the pre-op stuff. It also includes my post-op NUT appointments and unlimited amount of support group meetings afterwards.

So I called the regular office number and talked to the other person who deals with insurance. Boy was he a bit of a snotty thing! He was saying "Yeah, I have a confirmation that it did go through." I just asked if he could call them and make sure, since they were telling me they have no record of it, and he was like "Um, no." o.O Not like my eventual payment for all this is helping pay your salary or anything. Not like I'm unemployed with kids and dishing out $900 a month for this insurance, so, yeah, I'm going to get a bit concerned when member services is telling me "it shouldn't take this long to get approval" but they don't have anything on file.

I'm sure you can imagine just how close I was to saying screw it and going out to eat tonight. So hungry, PMSing like a bear, and this isn't helping. ERRRGGGGHHHH!

I had to pay $600 up front for the office "services" which included insurance coordinating, so you can imagine how annoyed I am as well. Hopefully all of this stress will pay off for us very soon! Good luck:)

So I called HBCBS today to ask if there has been any progress on the approval. Guess what? They never got the file! Also guess what? The insurance coordinator at my surgeon's office is a temp and she NEVER answers her phone or returns voicemails. UGH. Now I have to call them and have them track all this down. Part of me wonders if she just told me she submitted everything but didn't. I'm really pissed right now!

I called my insurance yesterday and guess what? The same thing happened to me! I emailed my ins coordinator after getting off the phone with CIGNA and basically was like, WTF? No response yet. I want to scream.

While I was posting about my anxiety yesterday a letter was sitting in my mailbox that I was approved!!!!! I took the day off yesterday and didn't leave the house. I was expecting a phone call from my surgeon's office first. Yaaay

Where do you live? Just curious because I've heard CIGNA is different in every region.

While I was posting about my anxiety yesterday a letter was sitting in my mailbox that I was approved!!!!! I took the day off yesterday and didn't leave the house. I was expecting a phone call from my surgeon's office first. Yaaay

WOOOOHOOOOOO congratulations!

My surgeon's office is really great. I know about 7 people who went through them so I know they will get back with me and I know it was submitted because I got a letter from Cigna letting me know. I actually said I was going to call after two weeks but I really don't want to do that either. I'm going to let go through the process. It is usually BCBS that has those 24 hour approvals.

Ugh, 3 weeks? Gosh I hope CIGNA doesn't take that long for me:( My luck, they will take longer...

Message me your mail and I'll invite you :-)

I think I messaged you by email the other day. Can I be added please?

You look amazing!!!

Hi All:)

I had my last appt on Wednesday and I got the call this afternoon that I should start my two week pre-op diet tomorrow and prepare for surgery within the first few days of November. Apparently they don't think I will have issues getting approved, although I have CIGNA so I have no idea why that would be the case lol.

Any who, looks like I will be joining you in November. So excited for all of us:)

So, my husband is supportive, however I can see how me wanting this surgery could influence his insecurities. Although I am doing this for my health, the first thought people have when they hear WLS is that it is purely for vanity reasons. Your husband is then left to think, why now? Why does my wife want to lose weight? Does she want to leave me? Does she want attention?

Randomly, one day my husband came home and told me he wanted to get his "peter" pierced. I told him absolutely not, and then I started wondering. If I have no interest in him doing that, why would he want it? To show other women? To please other women?

You see, different circumstances but the same insecurities come up. i would NOT support the piercing and would not go with him to get it done, even if the reason was purely because it would make him feel good.

I would just try to make your SO understand the reasons you want WLS, and be patient and understanding with him. This is not easy for them either.

Two months out does seem a bit far, but I guess it all depends on how busy your surgeons office is. It will fly by though, what a wonderful holiday gift to yourself:)

I will give insurance all the time they need. But, to give my insurance coordinator at my surgeons office 10 days before she even submits the paperwork for approval, that seems extreme. I guess I will wait and see.

I'm not sure what insurance you have but I'd say give her 10 business days. If you haven't heard anything by then give her a call to see what the status is.

10 business days to submit the paperwork? Good lord....

I had my last NUT appointment today. The NUT told me that the ins coordinator would start gathering all of my clearances and putting my package together to submit to insurance.

How long did that take for you? I ask because my insurance coordinator has been kind of crappy, and I've been trying to give her the benefit of the doubt, but I'm really concerned that she is going to make this already ridiculous waiting period even longer. I wonder how long I should wait for her to submit my package before I start harassing.

Yeah, I'm more worried about my insurance coordinator doing her job than CIGNA actually approving me. I emailed her two days ago, no response. Emailed her again this morning and still nothing. Unbelievable.

Just found out that becasue my company issues my insurance from Maryland and eventhough I'm in California' date=' I actually have to do six months instead of three. I had already done five for my previous insurance so now I have to do one more class from the doctors office. Feeling a bit frustrated with the process. I started this in February and thought I would be done with my surgery by now but now it's looking like it may not be until December or January.[/quote']

I'm in MD and only have to do 3 months???

CIGNA must vary by state and by employers package - some people have to do 6 months, others 3. Some people's first visit counts as 0 and have to go 3 more times, whereas my first visit counted as month 1 and I only needed to visit 2 more times. Also, some people are required to have these monthly check-ups with their PCP but I can have mine with the nutritionist in my surgeon's office.

I don't think, however, that you need to actually lose weight during these months. In fact, I'm just above 35 BMI so my NUT actually told me that I should maintain during these months.

Cigna is a pain!! Submitted my paperwork last week. Heard today that they did not approve it' date=' want another month of seeing the NUT. I called twice to see what was needed and so did the Dr. office. I am right on the line with my BMI, has to be over 40 because I have no co morbidities. I have about four pounds to play with to stay above that line. Now my last appt with the NUT will be Nov 4th. Have to lose something.... But it can't be more than 4 lbs!!! Now I am a nervous wreck !! Ugggggghhhhh!![/quote']

How many months does your policy require?

I only have to have 3 consecutive month visits (3 visits) with CIGNA. I went through a program at my surgeons office, but all your doctor should have to put is your weight loss program and exercise regime, your monthly weight, and make sure that you were seen in consecutive months. Good luck:)

I just received a phone call from my coordinator. They are putting me on the schedule for surgery for 10/31. this is a tentative date pending insurance approval.

now I'm feeling a bit sick to my stomach! I've been jumping through hoops since july and now that I am this <> close, I'm feeling sick!

How warped is that?????

That is so exciting to have a date! I do understand, however, that having the date makes me feel so much more real and that is scary. As I am getting closer to my last appointment, and knowing that my surgery will likely be within the next month, I get a bit of anxiety myself. Don't worry, it's not warped, I'm pretty sure it's very normal!

I'm not sure what machine I have, but I would recommend it. It has the setting where it starts off at a low pressure and then increases after 20 minutes to the pressure I need for the night. It also has a built in humidifier that I can set as well. The humidifier is what i had to tinker with the most. At first I had it too low and woke up with a sore throat and a horrible Migraine. I increased the humidity and have had a good nights sleep ever since.

Funny you should say that, Lou. I called my insurance to check on the progress and was told they have no record of it. Called the surgeon and is still sitting on the coordinators desk! She hadnt submitted it yet.

120% unacceptable. We jump through a thousand hoops to have this surgery. I have gone to at least 15 doctor appointments in the past two months and I know a lot of others have been doing it for much longer. They must not understand the anxiety that comes with all of this, and the need to have the surgery and start our new lives as soon as possible. It amazes me. If i was a surgeon, I'd be pissed knowing that my paycheck is still sitting on the insurance coordinators desk because she hasn't submitted paperwork to insurance.