piperbaby

How are you scars? Does he he cut a nice line? What did they give you for pain? Any other tips or tricks? TIA

Thanks Keri! You have the big band if I remember right, did you feel any restriction at before getting a fill or were you starving until that point? l work with a guy who had his band a week ago thursday and he has been starved, infact he went to grandys for lunch yesterday and had chicken fried steak:eek:

That is great! I am jealous.

I am so stressed out Cigna denied my lapband again todayand I am really steamed! I did their little 6 month diet thing and they still denied it because during my 6 month diet I had to have knee surgery so I was told by my dr not to take Meredia because of the anesthesia risk for 2 weeks. She did not tell me go off my diet just not take the pills. So Cigna took that and ran with it even though their guidelines do not say that you have to take diet pills in the first place, just be on a diet. Cigna is using this as a loophole and its a load of crap and they know it. I HATE CIGNA! I am done, I cant take the stress of this anymore. It is open enrollment at work until Friday and I switched to UHC today that will go into effect in January. I pray that I will not have this crap with them. Hopefully the holiday season will pass quickly.

Thanks Kerri, I hope so this is so crazy you know I have had over 100k worth of medical bills/surgery in the past 15 months thru Cigna because of my weight. You would think that they would pay the damn 15k and be done with me but NOOOO How did your UHC plan work with Benavides? I asked them today and they said I wouldnt have to pay him anything even thought it will have a 375 deductible and then pay 80/20. That did not make any sense to me at all...

I hate ins companies specifically mine. I was denied for not being medically necessary. They claim they did not recieve nutritional, psych and medical evaluations and diet hiistory. The very idea. Anyone who is a pt of Benavides knows you have to do all these things prior to them submitting. They sent in 163 pages of medical documentation including 5 different letters of reccommendation from my various specialists as well as the sleep study, nutritional consult and psych consult and diet history. I have specifically been taking Meridia since May just to satisfy them. I dont even think they looked at mt file and just stamped it denied. I am so pissed:mad: I would really love to call them up and give them an ear full but I dont think that would be in mt best interest.

I dont have your ins but I was denied and had done every test they requested. GRR, I hate this. Hopefully you will have better luck than me.

Hello! Has anyone used him? Anyone hear of him? I have chosen him as my surgeon and just wanted any addtl info I can get.... thanks

I have Cigna too! My paperwork is in their hands as I type this all 99 pages of it. I hope they approve me. I dont know why this has to be so difficult for all of us.

I have been banded yet but I just wanted to day hello! I ahve read your journey over on OH and what an inspiration you are! Insurance has my paperwork now and im hoping for an approval but with Cigna you never know. Anyway I hope it all works out for you. Do you think they can use the same band again and just tighten it some more and stitch her in place real good?

I am going with Benavides instead of Hamm. I actually would have gone with Hamm 2 years ago when I first tryed to get the band but became so frustrated when I was denied by insurance and their office was unwilling to help at all. Now, I am going thru Benavides and they have been fabulous. I can say that Hamm's office did not have me do one single test before they submitted to ins no psych eval, no sleep study, no pul tests where Benavides has had me do lots of things. I think that this will help my case more in trying to get approved this time. My paperwork was submitted to Cigna on Friday so heres hoping for the best.

Ohh that sounds terrible. Have you tryed gas-x? Hopefully some other banded folks can help you out here.

I havent had the surgery yet, im still waiting and hoping for ins apaproval. But I read a post and it had me alarmed:think

:banana :banana That is great news! Did yall have the same dr and go back to back?

Oh cool yes please do. Have you met him personally yet?