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AETNA - Health Fund Insurance - Anyone?



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Greetings All!

I have AETNA HealthFund insurance. Does anyone else have the plan? Any comments about how your experience was with the insurance company covering costs, etc?

Thanks in advance.

Vickie :smile2:

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Hi There and Happy New Year!

This is my first time posting so I hope I do it right...

I have Aetna PPO... They required 3 months of dieting, plus I did a psych evaluation, met with the nutrionist three times, had bloodwork done, ekg, echocardiogram and an endoscopy. My surgeon's office told me to follow everything to the "T" and try not to miss any appointments. I did everything correctly, did not miss any appointments and Aetna came back asking for a two year weight history. On Dec. 11th, I gave them 5 years worth!!

Today is January 2nd and I still haven't heard back anything yet. I am bummed as I thought I was going to be banded in December. I have hope, though, that everything will work out.

I love Aetna... I have never had any problems with them so I have a good feeling about it. I just wish I was banded already.

Good Luck... I hope it all works out for you :smile2:

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WOW! I hope they get back to you soon. I am sure they will. Insurance companies can be very difficult and trying at times.

Thanks for the information. It is very helpful. How are you feeling about the whole process thus far?

Vickie

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I just found out that Aetna approved my surgery!! :smile2:

My surgery date is Jan. 22nd!! Pre-op appt. with Cardiologist and Nutritionist is Jan. 13th.

WOO-HOO!! I am so excited!! I am crying tears of joy!!

Have a Blessed Day... I know I am!!

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Did you do the 3mth diet program before surgery?

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I did have to "diet" for three months for the insurance company, but my friend, who was banded a year ago, with the same insurance as me, said to not lose too much weight or Aetna may not approve the surgery. I kept a food journal and I lost about 6 pounds from Sept. - November. I gave copies of the food journal to the nutritionist at each appointment too. The surgeons office was okay with the small amount of weight loss for those three months and I guess Aetna was too, because I got my approval last week. One week from today, I will be banded!! Yay!!

I wish you all the best :w00t:

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I have Aetna also and i had to do 6 months seeing a dietitian and seeing my PCP and i also had to have a 5 year weight history. I had to take a psych evaluation too. After all that i could submit to insurance and they approved it in less than a week. Then i had to go through all the pre-op testing...EKG, Upper G.I, blood work, breathing test (I can't remember what it was called) and an abdominal ultrasound. Then i had to go to a pre-op appointment and do a 10 day clear liquid diet then i had surgery on Dec. 18th. I will get my first fill on Jan.28th which i am SUPER excited for.

Edited by princessaktmc

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So how much weight did you lose on the 6 mth diet? I am afraid that I will lose wt and the insurance will not aprove my surgery.:(

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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