Carrie_C

Hi, I work in a doctor's office and we just found out that Great West has merged with Cigna, so you might have to meet Cigna's requirements. I would call the number on the back of the card and ask.

I have Cigna as well. My surgery is scheduled for May 22. I didn't have to provide my weight for the last 5 years, only all the diets I have tried in that time frame. I think they look more at your weight during the doctor supervised diet. They want you to have lost some during that 6 months time frame. I think they want to see a 10% loss. If you have any comorbidities, it is easier to get approved with a BMI of less than 40. By the way, I was denied twice before they finally approved it, so don't give up! Good luck!

Hi, I have Cigna as well, and they did not cover any of my nutrition or psych evals. I don't know if there are other plans besides mine that cover them, but you might want to call the number on the back of your card and ask them.

Yes, I can just imagine. That is why so many schools have dress coded now.

I know, that is SO gross! What's bad too is when bigger girls wear tiny strapless tank tops with everything hanging out! I would die!

Hi everyone, I'm not in Texas, but I am in Tennessee! My surgery is scheduled for May 22. I was really scared, but now I'm getting pretty excited! I look forward to talking to everyone!

Well, since I'm a nurse, I better not wear one at work! But anywhere else, I would seriously consider it! But I would actually prefer to wear some really low rider jeans with a short top showing my skinny belly! (When I get one)!

I have only told my husband and my mother, and I only told her today. (My surgery is scheduled for May 22). I don't plan on telling anyone at work. They are all very judgemental and jealous of everything, so it would only make it worse to tell them. I don't plan on telling anyone else, but I'm sure my mother will spread it around the family, she can't keep a secret. But I don't really care. Like someone else said in a previous post, the people who make fun of me now for being fat will probably be the same ones making fun of me for the band. But I am only trying to please myself, so I am not going to worry about what they say. My husband was against it at first, and he still thinks I'm insane for doing it, but he is supporting my decision. My mother didn't really say much when I told her. She didn't believe I am 100 pounds overweight (I hide it very well), but she has always struggled with her weight as well, so I think she understands.

Thanks chuncky. Yes, Johnna is very nice. I go for my preop class this Wednesday. Good luck with your surgery Thursday! Let us know how it went!

LOL, renewedhope, that's great to know! Hopefully ours will get MUCH better after I lose some weight and gain some confidence.

My husband would die if he had to wait 8 weeks!!

Thanks! Where is the June 08 thread?

Hi everyone, I am scheduled for May 22, and like everyone else, I am really scared as well. Earlier this week, I was seriously considering canceling. But then I started thinking about all the things I want to do that my weight doesn't let me do. I saw some sexy low rider jeans at the mall the other day and I was thinking how nice it would be to be able to wear them! I am still pretty scared, but I am starting to get a little more excited. I go to the preop class next week and I think I will feel alot better after that. Good luck to everyone!

soon2b, I called the number on the back of my card. But if yours was just submitted last week, they probably won't have an answer for you yet. But if they are going to deny you, I believe they do it within the first week. The first time I was denied, it took about a week. The second time only took 1 day to be denied. Once we appealed again, it only took a little over 2 weeks for them to approve me. If I were you, I would give it another week and then call. I have heard others say how hard it was to talk to the people at Cigna, but I had no trouble at all. They were all very nice and helpful, and I called A LOT! If your BMI is over 40 and you have done the 6 months diet plus nutrition and psych evals, you will probably get approved. The doctor's office told me almost everyone gets approved, even if they have to appeal a few times.

Cathy, I have open access plus. It is through my husbands work at GE. I have to pay $858 1 week before surgery. But I think the reason I have to pay so much is because I hadn't met my deductible. Your surgery is only 1 week before mine. You will have to let me know how it is, I am getting very scared! I was actually thinking of canceling! But I think it was just nerves. Once I do it, I know I'll be fine.

Thanks everyone for all the great advice! I know that if I don't get the band, I will stay this way. And chances are I will get bigger. I somehow gained 20 pounds over the holidays and I still can't get it off. So I know my options are to take the chance and get the band or stay fat forever. I can't say that I've made up my mind for sure, but I go to the preop class next week and hopefully after the class I won't have so many doubts. My neice is getting married this weekend and I keep thinking how nice it would be if I wasn't so fat at her wedding. Thinking about things like that, and thinking about the other things I will be able to do after losing weight is helping me focus more on the positive things that the band can do and not the negatives. It would also be nice not to have such bad arthritis knee pain this winter.

Thanks everyone. I don't have much of a problem with constipation with my IBS, it is more nausea and diarrhea. I can deal with the diarrhea, but the nausea is what bothers me. I take Alka Seltzer now for it, but I know I won't be able to take that after the band. I guess that's one thing that bothers me. What does everyone else take post band for nausea? I agree that it is a good idea not to visit the board much preband. I don't read the 'complications' section anymore. I was also on youtube, and there were videos there of people who had problems with the band and had to have it removed, and they were still fat! I guess that is another thing that bothers me, going through the surgery and then not losing weight. I think I will feel better once I tell my Mom an everyone about it. I am just worried they won't be supportive.

From what I have been reading, it seems like a lot of people go through this, but I am seriously having second thoughts about having this surgery. I actually can't believe I feel this way. It took me 3 months to get Cigna to approve it, and I was even denied twice. I was approved last week, and I thought I would be happy, but I am not. I have a lot of problems with IBS and nausea now, and I am worried that it will get worse with the band. I just got accepted into RN school for the fall, and I am scared I will be sick all the time with the band and have to drop out of school. A million thoughts are going through my mind about being sick all the time. I also keep thinking of all the reasons to have the surgery. I am 5'7 and I weigh 255 pounds. I have arthritis in both knees. Diabetes and heart disease are very strong in my family. Plus, it would be nice to be able to wear a bathing suit next summer. But everytime I think about the good, I start being afraid that I am going to be sick all the time. I also keep thinking about all the money I have to pay. I have not told anyone but my husband that I am having surgery, and I am scared to even tell my mother. My surgery is scheduled for May 22. I am very confused and could really use some advice.

That's great, I hope mine shrink.

Thanks! My insurance (Cigna) required me to have those classes before they would approve the surgery, so I have already paid the $95 for the classes. So hopefully I wouldn't have to pay the hospital anymore. Johnna at Dr Paynter's office told me I have to pay my coinsurance to their office, so that's great if I don't have to pay the hospital anything extra.

Hi! I am scheduled for surgery on 5/22/08 at Memorial Hospital. Dr Paynter is doing my surgery. I live in Cleveland, but I am from Chattanooga. I was wondering if anyone had to pay Memorial Hospital anything prior to surgery? I know I have to pay Dr Paynter the coinsurance, but did anyone else have to pay the hospital in advance as well?

Does anyone know of a good company to finance the coinsurance through? I don't have very good credit, so I am having trouble finding financing. Any help would be appreciated!

I think they will approve you if you keep appealing. Cigna denied me twice (and I have 3 comorbidities), but they finally approved it and I have a surgery date of 5/22. Keep fighting!!

That's great that you only have to pay $100. The doctor's office has been jerking me around. I don't think the insurance cooridinator even knows what she is doing. On the initial consult, they told me I would have to pay $1000 for a program fee. Then when I went to the nutrition eval, they told me that I wouldn't have to pay all of my coinsurance before surgery. They said I would have to pay $750 1 week before surgery and the rest would be due within 6 months. That was all fine with me, I have saved up all the money. But now they are telling me that I have to pay ALL of the coinsurance before sugery. So I am very confused. I don't know if I can come up with all of it at once. I don't see how they can make me pay all of it at once. I am going to have to talk to her supervisor or someone else that knows what they are doing.

I just got my surgery date, it is May 22. I am excited, but also very nervous. I am not sure how many days preop I will have to be on liquids. I go next week for the preop class, so I am guessing they will tell me then. Now I just have to come up with all the money for the coinsurance!