ait

i also have aetna ppo and it took them one day to approve me (submitted paperwork on friday, got approval this afternoon). my paperwork was 100% in order though which is what i hear the key is. good luck - hope to hear good news!

I got approved!!! Thanks all for your help-I'm so happy! The surgeon's office just called.

thanks guys!!! megster i cried too :tongue:

thank you! i'm on such a high

I'm so happy - the surgeon's office just called me and I'm approved! Surgery is March 9th and I'm thrilled to begin this new chapter in my life :tongue:

I just got approved - the surgeon's office just called me! I'm sooooo happy - March 9th it is!!!!!

Thanks Julie. The number on the back of my card is the same general number on the website, which I guess means my company isn't big enough to warrant a dedicated number. I just tried googling Aetna precertification phone #'s but couldn't find anything. Oh well.

Just called that number, and they told me they are a dedicated line for UPF (?) members and I'm not one - not sure what that is except that it meant she couldn't help me. Oh well...

Thank you so much! That was extremely helpful - I'm going to call right now.

Does anyone know what number to call at Aetna? My paperwork was submitted a few days ago and I want to call and bother them and see the status of my file.

I'm having surgery at NYU (I live in New York.) How about you? You're freaking me out about the insurance - I don't have comorbidities either, well none that I take meds for anyway, but the insurance requirement is a BMI of 40 and I have that! I really pray they approve me....

gabi311b i just saw your stats and mine are exactly the same-5'8 and 269, and our surgery dates are a day apart! (i'm still waiting to hear re: insurance approval but hopefully). funny coincedence.

Just got a tentative surgery date - March 9th! As long as insurance approves (and my surgeon's office said I should be - all paperwork is in order etc). I can't believe this is really happening! I'm thrilled :cursing:

Thanks! Do we know how brief is too brief? She didn't write paragraphs or anything - just a couple sentences about what we talked about.

I hope so-I'm really worried about it now :tt2:

Hi. I complete my six month diet under a doctor and lost some weight in the beginning but couldn't keep it off. I just picked up my records from the doctor's office and I see that she used words like "admits noncompliance" . Will Aetna deny me based on something like that? Has anyone had things like that written in their records and still been approved?

Hi. I have Aetna and am thrilled because my company added bariatric surgery coverage to our plan effective 1/1/09. I have already completed 6 months of a doctor supervised diet just in case the policy would be changed, and am now in the process of gathering my documentation to submit. I have a problem however which is that I have no proof of my weight in 2007. I was out of the country on a work exchange program for much of the year and did not visit any doctor who weighed me. I have proof of my weight going back to 2004 but am missing 2007. I do have a weight watchers booklet showing my weight from the end of 2007 but that is it, and I know that doesn't count for insurance purposes. Has anyone gotten approved with a gap like this? Does anyone have tips for me about how to try and get approved with this hole in documentation??? Thanks!!!

Thanks, will do. I just reread my company's insurance plan documents and it says that bariatric surgery isn't covered. I'm pretty pissed - I have a meeting set up with our benefits person to make sure that's true. If it is I have a big problem.

Hello all I just joined the forum and this thread has been very helpful and informative. I have Aetna POS and am starting the process for lap band (the information seminar is next week.) I am now nervous though b/c my BMI fell below 35 (to 33) at one point in the past two years. I gained back all the weight I'd lost then and my BMI is back to 41, but now I'm concerned that I can't be approved and then what is the point of me doing all the legwork? Does anyone know if it's possible to be approved even with BMI dipping below 35? What if my doctor doesn't send them that page from my records?