Tamihott

Hi Lynn! I live in NE pa too and will be having surgery on sept 15 by ne bariatrics in Hazleton. Where are you from and have you chosen a surgeon yet?? Tamara

I was just approved on Tuesday. I started the journey Nov 2007. I would say to make sure you follow you insurance requirements to the letter, and always remember to be pro active. I did most of my approval stuff on my own. My surgeon took no for an answer the first time around. I did not and got approved. It is a long journey for alot of us and daunting at times, but pays off in the end. Good luck Tamara

Hi everyone! I am soo glad to finally have a date and join you guys. I will be banded on Sept 15th. I am a 34 yo mother of two daughters 16 years and 2 years. I have been married to my soul mate for 5 years. I work part time at a medical center and one day a week at an auction house. I am looking forward to feeling confident about myself again! I would also love to throw my cpap machine out the window. Like all of you my list would be too long to post. The day cannot get here soon enough. Tamara

I will be taking 10 days off from work. If I need more I will take more. I will not rush it! Tamara

I have to start a 2 week pre op diet on labor day!!

I am also to be banded Sept 15th. I am super excited and super nervous all at the same time! Good luck to us. Tamara

I will be banded on September 15th! Northeast Bariatrics Hazleton Pa

I was approved by bc/bs il today!! Good luck everyone!!

I just wanted to let everyone know that as of today I am approved for surgery!!! I have bc/bs il and have been going through the process since 11/07. I submitted the first request on July 17th via my surgeons office and was denied. I submitted my own paperwork on July 30th and was approved this morning!! There is hope. I did this all on my own. Good luck everyone!!!! Tamara

Yaaaaaaaaaay!! I am soo happy for you. It gives us all some more hope, that one day soon we can hear those same words. Let us know when your date is! Tamara

I would say it is great news that your dr's office is willing to help you! In most cases the dr or someone from the srugeons office will speak with and plead your case to a medical person from Aetna. I wish you the best of luck! Tamara

I contacted ObesityLaw.com this morning. I called bc/bs il and they did get my additional 25 pages of records I sent and once again my case is in review. I just wanted to be prepared in case of another Denial.

This sounds JUST like what happened to me. Then when she did submit the paperwork she only sent in half of it! Well of course I was denied. I just got all my stuff together with a letter and faxed 25 more pages of records that for some reason she failed to send. I am doing all the leg work as of now. If it were not for the fact that I like my surgeon I would have gone postal on the "surgery coordinator" already. Sometimes it is best to be your own advocate, seems in toadys world you have to. I too have had to bite my tongue, but in the end, she will know I how feel!! Good luck to you! Tamara

My paperwork was submitted on Friday to bc/bs il and it only took them until Tuesday to Deny me. I called myself. I just resubmitted more paperwork today! Good luck Tamara

Congratulations Gina!! If I remember correctly you have Bc/Bs illinois too. I will resubmit my paperwork next week myself and if no luck I too will be using ObesityLaw.com. I am soo happy for you. Tamara

Thanks for the support guys! I really need to keep the momentum up and not get discouraged. The website is bcbsil.com when you get to the main page click on providers at the top of the page, then on the side you will see many options. Closer to the bottom it says medical policies, click it. A disclaimer will pop up and you need to scroll to the bottom and click I agree. On the next page will be a place to type what you are looking for. It is on the left hand side. Type in morbid obesity. There is only one option. This policy goes over any WLS surgery that is covered and what they want and require for approval. If you have any trouble let me know. Tamara

The problem that most of us are having is that they are stating that the 6 mo diet notes are not in depth enough. The bigger problem is that they are very vague with the denial and the denial letter. It seems to me your hubby should have no problem with getting approved but you just never know. I thought I did everything by the book, as I printed out a copy of bc medical policy on morbid obesity surgery. I took this form to every dr I saw to make sure the notes had what was on the paper. Still DENIED. I am trying again in a few weeks. I will be getting the notes together myself and sending them in. I used to be a surgery scheduler and did appeals all the time, so I will include a nice long letter too. I am goona try until I have exhausted everything I know to do, and like I said before I will be contacting a lawyer or Obesity Law. It is just the principle of the matter now!!! Good luck!!

After I get everything I "think they should need" and resubmit, if I am denied I will appeal with the help of Obesity Law. This is crazy.

Mist, What are you doing now after the second denial?? I feel soo frustrated. I wonder how anyone ever gets approved with this insurance!

Mist can you tell me what paperwork you submitted. I think we are having the same problem with the 6 month diet not being enough. I am trying to get some more things together, but really don't know what they want.

I have Bc/BS illinois PPO

No surprise but I was denied today by bc illinois. I tried to get a good reason as to why and they say lack of documentation on the 6 month diet and missing one of the 5 years obesity records. I am getting some more records together right now, including a detailed summary from my Pcp about my 6 mo diet and a letter from the psychologist that is more detailed. I think the person at my surgeons office, is just not a cheer leader for me right now and I will submit all the info and do the leg work myself. I will continue until there is no hope left. Good luck everyone.

I actually live in Pa. My husband's company headquarters is in Chicago, so we have il BC/bs

My paperwork was finally submitted to Bc/BS il today. Though my hopes of approval seem small, it was an exciting moment considering all the appts and tests I have been through in the past 8 months. I did get a tenative band date of 8/25/08!! Keep your fingers crossed. Tamara

I am on LoEstrin Fe birth control pill and was told that I have to stop taking them 6 wks prior to surgery!!