Carrie_C

Hi, I can understand how you feel. I think you are brave for even telling anyone you were going for the consult. I am waiting on insurance approval, and no one even knows I am trying to have it done except my husband. Even when if it gets approved, I don't know that I will tell anyone else about it except my mother. I just don't want to deal with everyone else's feelings about it, I have enough trouble with my own feelings. I am 5'7 and weigh 255, and like you, no one believes I weigh as much as I do. I can hide it well too. I say you should go ahead and do it for you. Don't worry about everyone else, you are the one who has to live with yourself. That's how I try to look at it.

Hi everyone. I just got all of my paperwork sent in to the insurance company today and I am hoping for approval. I have heard horror stories about having to appeal a million times, and I am hoping I don't have to. I am 30 years old and I live in Tennessee. I have been overweight for about 12 years and I have tried every diet there is, and I refuse to go on another diet!! I am excited about the surgery (if it gets approved) but I am also a little scared. I am worried about how I will feel right after the surgery. I don't want to be sick, and I am not looking forward to the liquid diet. But I think in the end it will be worth it.

$600??! WOW! I thought $95 was high! Cigna wouldn't pay anything for the evals for me either, but I am glad they covered some of the surgical consult or it would have cost me over $300. asherje, good luck with your financing. Unfortunately that's not an option for me because I filed Chapter 13 a few years back, and I can't get any credit for anything. So if Cigna doesn't pay, I am just out of luck. I had my psych eval today and I am sending in everything to Cigna tomorrow, so wish me luck!

Wow, how did you get approved so fast?! That's great! The insurance cooridinator at the surgeons office said that it could take up to a month to hear back. I hope it doesn't take that long. That's great that they reimbursed you. Cigna did pay for some of the surgical consult, but I still had to pay $105. They haven't paid for the nutrition or psyc eval, I have had to pay $95 for those. And the insurance cooridinator told me that if my surgery is approved, I will have to pay $1000 one week before the surgery for some kind of "program fee". Sounds like a rip off to me, but I think it will be worth it in the end. Besides, I have spent a lot more than that on fad diets, which didn't work!

Hi everyone. I am in the process of getting the Lap Band approved through Cigna. I went for a surgical consult a few weeks ago. They told me that Cigna requires a 6 month physician supervised diet, I had done that already last year. They also told me that they require a letter of medical neccessity from my PCP, I have got that as well. I also have to attend a nutrition and psych evaluation. I have done the nutrition already and I go for the psych eval tomorrow. I am 30 years old, 5'6 and weigh 255 pounds. My BMI is 41. I also have diabetes as well as hypertension. I was just wondering how long it takes for Cigna to approve the surgery and if I am denied, how many times can I appeal? All of this insurance business is very confusing to me. I have already paid quite a bit for the consult and all the evaluations. If they deny me, I will be out all that money!