I think it differs depending on what type of insurance you have. I have PEIA (Public Employees Insurance) through my employer and I had to go to my lap band doctor for 12 months, loose 5% of my body weight, and not gain any in the process, had to quit smoking, be cleared by a cardiologist (when they took the pictures of my heart during my stress test, the pictures showed I had a blockage on the back side of my heart, so I also had to have a heart cath which showed NOTHING thank God)...I think that was pretty much it.