lonestar5212

dogluvr - Thanks so much. Any time I went "fishing" with Aetna all I got was the "pending" answer too. But don't be discouraged. They had me pending for 4 weeks. I thought for sure that meant bad news, but I was wrong. Hopefully, you will be one of the fast turn-arounds. I hope so. How is your friend doing? 28 minutes, wow! I am a little nervous, but very, very excited today. Started the pre-op diet today so I really feel like I am finally moving forward. Keep us posted. I will keep checking in so I don't miss your good news of approval!!

gisellehuet - I am from Dallas area also and I am also getting banded by Dr. Marsden on March 14th. Who is doing your surgery?

Got word yesterday that I was approved. Then I called the surgeon's office and they said, "how about next Friday?" So March 14th it is. Nervous and excited.

NeNe - Thanks so much. Four weeks to the day that my file went in to medical review. I am exhausted but happy. Thanks for the prayer. I will now return the favor for you. IT WILL HAPPEN FOR YOU TOO!!! We will both be on our way very shortly!!

Thanks for all the good wishes. I hope this process gets much easier in the days ahead for those coming after me. I think with the awareness of the benefits of this surgery now being talked about openly on CNN, MSNBC, medical conferences, the climate of acceptance of this being a necessary part of the dynamic when considering how to care for people and make sure we have every chance at a healthy life, will happen. As my doctor says, "this is an absolute necessity for the health and well being of some of my patients. It is another tool at my disposal for helping them." Hang in there to all that wait. I discovered that I was way too fearful of being denied and made the process much harder on myself. Know your criteria from your own ins. company, and if you meet it, relax, it will happen.

Just got approval today and surgeon's office has me down for surgery on 3-14 as well. Good luck to all of us!!!!!!

Got that long awaited approval today------and now I am freaking out also. Surgery is March 14 and I am a wreck! What the heck is going on with me. I have waited and waited for approval for so long and now I am scared? I keep thinking about the mask being put over my nose and mouth (I am claustrophobic), the surgery in general, the life after. Goodness, I have been through the thought process on all this and now it all comes rushing back at me and has me shaking in my boots.

I was approved today by Aetna and have a surgery date of 3-14. I am so excited and in shock, but have started to panic too.

NeNe - You aren't going to believe this, I just got the call. I have been APPROVED! I am still in shock. Scared and excited!

Miss Melissa - It is not Lockheed. Don't worry, you will get approved. I think my situation is a very unusual set of circumstances. It is out of the norm. Heck, my dentist offfice told me this week that they have to wait about 6 weeks to get pre-cert approval back on me just for dental work. I think all of you will have a much faster and easier result than I. Hang in there to everyone. Your new life is just around the corner.

Thanks NeNe, I will post as soon as I know one way or the other. My fingers and toes are crossed for you as well. Let us know.

Apparently, my company has a medical area made up of nurses and a doctor that works hand in hand with Aetna on approval or denial on pre-cert claims.

Hate to be a stalker here, but have so new info. It appears that my company has a say in whether I get approved also. That sounds like I am doomed here.

One more thing, when I call, I get the impression pretty quickly that they really don't want to talk to me. They always tell me that my doctor will be notified, like I shouldn't be calling them. I hate that. I just say that I want to make sure that they aren't still missing any documentation, and today I added the part about it being 30 days tomorrow. No reaction to that at all.

Okay, I called Aetna. This is what I was told. "It was referred to the Medical Director for review and after he makes his decision they will notify my doctor." FYI-I have sleep apnea and diabetes along with high cholesterol. Did a year with my PCP and did the 3 month thing with my surgery center. Had psyc eval. and nutritionist counseling. Supplied required health history. Don't know what else to do at this point. I basically don't hold out hope anymore that I can get approved. I think they are just looking for a reason, any little reason they can find to deny me. This is just a beatdown.

Miss Melissa - Yeah, they told me they have everything. Actually, my center sent them everything on 1-28, then Aetna wrote me and said they didn't have everything so my center sent it again on 2-4. I called Aetna on 2-5 and they said yes they received everything and sent it to medical review that day (2-5). I called alot at first and they just kept saying I was in medical review, so I stopped calling. I may call after I finish typing this just to see if I can get past the front line! NeNe - they have 45 days.

Tomorrow will be 4 weeks since my paperwork was submitted to Aetna. The 45 days they have to respond will be over in two weeks so at least I know I will have to hear something by then.

Lana24-I feel your pain. It was three weeks for me Tuesday. Just hang in there. Wendy-I enjoyed your post so much. I had quit calling my ins. company, but you have inspired me to start calling again! Glad all went well with you.

Dogluvr - Good luck to you. I pray you don't have to wait this long. I wish I could figure out why some people get approved so fast and others have to wait so long. Hopefully, you will have a short wait.

I am beaten down, exhausted with all this. Aetna has had my file in medical review for three weeks today. Still no word. I don't call anymore, I just wait.

Update on my Aetna journey. I usually only call on Fridays, but I had a really, really bad day today, so figured I would either try to get cheered up by an approval or take the hit for denial while I am already down. No luck either way. I don't know why they are taking so long with me. They told me that our company's health coverage is handled in a dept. that deals strictly with claims from our company. (It is a very large oil company) Wouldn't it be that way for all companies? Anyway, I told them I was concerned that all the documentation had made it where it needed to go since I got that letter after the first submittal. She said, and I quote "Oh we send that letter out as soon as we receive a request. It is standard operating procedure for it to go out." Okay, so that is settled. She said they received all the paperwork on Feb. 4th and that it went to medical review on Feb. 5th. She reminded me that it has only been 10 business days. I am really patient and calm and nice when I call, wish I could say the same about the people I have been talking to on the other end. But I keep calm and bite my lip. I have a BMI of 40, sleep apnea and diabetes, and actually 7 years of history. So are we talking 30-45 days business days, or just calendar days for them to make their decision. By the way, congratulations to everyone that has their approval in hand. I am jealous, of course, but truly happy for you all for I know all too well what this surgery means to all of you. Good luck. Still waiting---------------

OMG Special K!!!!! How wonderful! Congratulations. Aetna still hasn't made a decision for me. True Results said they submitted week of 1-28 the first time, then Aetna said they didn't receive 5 year history, so True Results re-sent it 2-4. Aetna told me on 2-11 that they had everything and that it went to medical review, but no answer yet. I will call again this Friday.

And they wonder why our brains explode by the time we hear whether we were approved or denied!! It seems as if everyone's process is painful. Hang in there, those before us suffered through the process, as we are now. At least you have approval! I envy you as I sit and wait for that. I was told by Aetna on Monday that I am in medical review. Okay, fine. Then I get a call from my surgery center Tues. telling me that they submitted my file to Aetna 2-12. I said "What?????? You told me on Jan. 28th that you submitted it that week. Then Aenta sent me a letter on 2-2 saying that docs were missing. I spoke to your ins. girl on 2-4 and she faxed them again to Aetna while I was on the phone on 2-4. Aetna gave me confirmation of receipt that same day. Then on 2-11 Aetna told me they received everything and that my case was in medical review. Given all this, how could you be saying that it just went today??!!!" Answer from her "I am confused to, but that is what it says here. You sound farther along so keep us posted." I hung up bewildered. And we are to trust all these other people with the most important thing in our lives. I feel your pain and frustration. You are almost there. We wish you the best with your surgery.

Five year history just doesn't seem to get to Aetna for alot of folks on the first try!! Hang in there. Keep calling your PCP and surgeon's office to make sure they sync up, and then call Aetna and make sure they have received everything. Whew, this is exhausting!

Thought I would share while I am on hold with Aetna. It is almost getting funny, all the bumps in the road I have. I have been on hold for about 10 minutes because the girl can't get her computer to move past the point where they see my info. Now she came back on to tell me that the computer finally moved and she can see that my case is still pending. But she says she can't see past that because our policy is handled by a "dedicated dept." that only handles claims from our company. So now I have hung up and called that number and am on hold again with them. I just want to make sure they aren't still missing any documentation that they said was missing last week. They received that stuff last Monday, so I am hoping that something else hasn't come up missing. Still holding----- Okay, nurse just came on and said that "all documentation has been received and it has been referred to the medical review staff." So, I am still pending and they have all the docs. So, back to waiting. Hang in there everyone else who is waiting. I feel your pain.