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Well, surgery is on Monday December 17 at 1:15 (arrive to hospital at 11:30) and I am starting to feel anxious, nervous, can't stay busy enough, you name it. I cleaned house yesterday and am going to go back through and clean again today. I hope that everything goes well for each and every one of us that has surgery coming up. I personally could not ask for a better Christmas/New Year gift.

You need to stay on top of it. I called first thing in the morning and then again mid afternoon. I learned the hard way that when they "put a rush on it", they actually do NOTHING. You need to verify that your paperwork is indeed in the medical review department and that it is a PRE DERMINATION OR PRE CERTIFICATION, depending on how it was submitted by your physician.

My surgery is also in one week. We will join the "bandsters" on the same day, congratulations to you. I also get the Holy s&** feelings, LOL. We will be okay and we can do this. I wish you the very best, and Happy Holidays.

I was approved on November 30th and surgery is on December 17. With Cigna, you NEVER get the same person to talk to, and you NEVER EVER get the same answer. The trick: Call, call, call, and call again: 1-800-244-6224. I did not have to look that number up either, I have it memorized. On November 30th, I was told that I had been denied, I had been approved, and it was still in review on three different phone calls all within one hours time. Now, tell me that all Cigna employees do their job????? I finally got a hold of a supervisor in Texas that was willing to, and did, help me. She was on the phone with a nurse while they approved me, which took less than 15 minutes and she called me right back. (Crying on the phone helped a little I think). Hey, whatever works with Cigna. Good luck and hang in there.

My surgery date is 12/17/07 and my preop consists of a Diflucan on the Friday before (to prevent female infection), a colon cleanser on Saturday afternoon with nothing more to eat of course and stop all liquids early Monday morning because my surgery is Monday afternoon.

USA Twilight - Montana DonHoll1 - Indiana Christasha - Chula Vista Ellisa - Ohio sfeiner - Baraboo Wi tmecia25 - Dalla Texas freebird - Cheyenn, WY CANADA AUSTRALIA Sewenup1 - Sydney

I have surgery scheduled for December 17, 2007 and am very excited to begin my new healthy, thin life.

I have been approved for surgery and the hospital called me today to let me know that my co-pay is due when I sign in at the hospital the day of the surgery. She said "the cost for the hospital alone, not the doctors or anesthesiologist is $25,000.00. The doctors bills will come separately." Are we being ripped off or what?????????? Thank goodness for insurance. My co-pay is $100.00.

TAH77 - - First of all, EACH and EVERY TIME you call Cigna you will get a different answer. The best thing, go into Cigna.com into your account and find the qualifications required by Cigna for your particular policy, it will outline it in detail. (I printed mine out and took it to the physician so they knew what I needed). Our Cigna policy required a BMI of 35 and higher with co-morbidities (sleep apnea, high cholesterol, depression) or a BMI of 40 or higher, a psychiatric evaluation, and MONTHLY visits to the physician with detailed documentation. Do not miss a month's visit or you will have to start all over. On my six months required diet, I lost a total of 2 pounds, between the ups and the downs and my BMI was at 40 with co-morbidities. It took Cigna 13 business days to approve me , which took in reality, less than 15 minutes. The person that was helping me was on the telephone with the nurse at Cigna while she looked at my paperwork, once they found it after being misplaced, and the process took less than 15 minutes total time. With Cigna, you have to call, call, and call again. Within one hour's time and 3 phone calls I was told I was denied, I was approved and it was still in review. That's when I called for a fourth time an BEGGED to get a hold of a supervisor and she finally assisted me and by the end of Friday November 30, 2007 I had my approval and am scheduled for surgery on December 17, 2007. I wish you the very best. Hang in there and don't give up.

Surgery date: 12/17/07 at 1:00 p.m., or there abouts. I am SOOOOOOOO EXCITED. I get to start the New Year with a new outlook on life. Thank you God.

If you drop to, say, 39 BMI, ask your doctor to use your highest BMI for the insurance paperwork. That is what my doctor used for me. And, be glad you only have to jump through 3 months of hoops, with Cigna, it is 6 months of hoops and some insurances are longer than that. I wish you the very best.

We get to start the new year on the right foot momof3 and forest. I wish you the very best, and Merry Christmas to you.

It took several phone calls, but I finally got approval by Cigna today. What a relief. I feel for every person that has Cigna, I know exactly what you go through for approval. I do not have a surgery date yet, it was too late in the day, but should get that on Monday and hopefully I can start the new year out as a "bandster". :whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo::whoo:

APPROVED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! CIGNA finally came in today with an approval, I finally got a hold of somebody at Cigna that could, and would, help find out where my paperwork was at. It took less than 15 minutes for the actual approval to be done. But, it took over 2 weeks for them to look at the paperwork.

Cagstrom: Congratulations!!!! If I read your post correctly, you were banded today???? I also have Cigna, paperwork went to them on 11/12/07 and still no word. I am having a real hard time staying positive at this point. Anyway, am very glad for you. I wish you the very best.

So much for laughing BEFORE I cry. It's too late.

I gotta laugh before I cry. I have been told several times by Cigna that they have 15 business days to approve/deny my WLS. Just now, I called today for a status on the predetermination and was told by a supervisor that they actually have 45 days. OMG!!! My hopes have just washed down the drain and I can't stop crying.

Please do not believe everything you are told from Cigna. I get different stories EVERY time I call. Sometimes I get transferred, sometimes not. Sometimes I am transferred up to 5 times and every time I call, I want the exact same thing "Status of the predetermination sent in by my physician for lap band surgery". During the six months, I lost a total of 2 pounds and my BMI is 40. I have other co morbidities (oxygen, high cholesterol) and so that will help, as it will help you if you have other "problems" to go with the weight. Also, if you can, go into your Cigna online and find what their guidelines are under your specific plan. That is what I did when I started this whole thing. I wish you the best of luck.

I am a medical transcriptionist (radiology) and I do this job from my home. I absolutely love the freedom I have and I make more money at home than I could make in any office. :clap2:

Did you visit your doctor for six months straight, no missed visits, for the medically supervised portion of Cigna's requirement??? If there was even one missed visit, the six months start all over. I am so sorry.

My information was sent into Cigna and I call every day. Well, this morning the calling paid off. I found out the person that had received the information sent it to the wrong department and the person I was speaking with on the telephone took it upon herself to correct everything and get the information sent to the correct department (I hope). My suggestion: If you have Cigna, call, call, call and call some more. You never get the same person nor the same answers but every now and then you do get a person that seems to care about their job and will do what is necessary to help you, the paying insured. People insured by Cigna work much too hard to get to the insurance approval/denial step to not keep on top of what is happening. I wish everyone with Cigna the very best.

Fitday.com, tracks everything for me. What I eat, my exercise, tracks it ALL. I love fitday.com

You are giving me hope. My paperwork is to be submitted by Friday to Cigna. I so bad want my surgery before Thanksgiving and there is a huge possibility it could happen if Cigna is on the ball and approves me next week. I am so crossing my fingers and toes!!!! Congratulations to you.

Michiganer, If anything, the sleep apnea should help you get surgery. That is a co morbidity of being over weight. I have sleep apnea and the doc says when it comes to Cigna it will help get the surgery, supposedly.

Did they send your first visit in to Cigna??? If they did, you will receive an explanation of benefits from Cigna explaining why they paid or why they did not pay. If it was never sent to Cigna, send it in yourself or have the office send it in.