I dont know about you, but im SICK of waiting for insurance to finally approve for my surgery! its been a year since the process began, ive done everything they have asked me to do and more. I got 6 doctors notes from doctors telling why i MUST have this surgery to live because my blood pressure is deadly high. Ive been on all the diets and weightloss programs. I took the mental health exam and passed it with flying colors and even that doctor gave a referel. Now i just sit here waiting...and i called the insurance company last week and they said they would have to take it to a board of people because im so young. Who cares that im so young...if i dont get this surgery im going to die...why cant they just approve me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

im very fed up and sick of waiting, and sick of being sick and fat. Is there anyone close to my age that had this problem or is going through it now? Im only 18....

I think the waiting is good. It has given me plenty of time to research further and do the soul searching I needed prior to having a foreign object implanted in my body that will there for the rest of my life.

These are not decisions that should be made on the fly and I'm sure that many have changed their mind during the wait.

A year does seem to be a little excessive but you have plenty of time ahead of you.

I did the same diet (Weight Watchers) for almost two years with my physician documenting everything - BCBS of IL. always found some tiny thing they wanted me to do. ie: doc to sign every single page, every word/suggestion she wrote had to be 100% legible to them, etc.... They eventually gave in and approved.

It was a nightmare.

It took me over a year to get mine approved and I'm 40! So, although I am not anywhere close to your age, I understand how frustrating it is to deal w/the insurance.

In my case, they denied me twice because I lost too much weight two years ago. My BMI had gone below 35 because I was starving myself on Weight Watchers. It was very frustrating to realize that had I NOT tried to take off the weight that last time w/WW, then I would've been approved easily the first time. On the other hand, if I had not tried to take off the weight that last time w/WW, I would not have felt confident that I had really given it my full try before resorting to WLS. So, kind of a damned if you do, damned if you don't sort of situation.

In the end, I got approved, though, and my head is in a really good place because I had LOTS of time to research it first and prepare. So, as frustrating as this process is, just try to see the passage of time not so much as a waste, but as a time for preparation and readying yourself emotionally, physically, and mentally for the journey ahead that will be the rest of your life. Best of luck to you and I hope you get your approval soon!

Ha ha ...like your poll. I hated CIGNA so much. I went through a year of hoops for them and they turned me down...3x ....the universe stepped in and I found a low BMI study and the cost was 1/2 of what it would have been to pay out of pocket in NYC. It turned out I had money that was lost in an Investment fund from my deceased parents ....the money I came up with was exactly what I needed. It was nothing short of a miracle. I did forgive my insurance company though because they fools paided for all the tests I had to see if I qualify ...either way the band has been a gift to me and I would pay out of pocket for it again.

While the approval process was nerve-wracking, my surgeon's office had as many requirements as my insurance company (Empire BCBS). All in all, it simply was a matter of meeting their not-terribly-outrageous requirements. Approval followed almost immediately after the last of the paperwork was sent to them.

It was pretty wrinkle-free for me.

I am very lucky-I have BCBS for Federal Employees and they approved me on the first attempt, within 2 days. I know how good I have it though. I feel so bad for everyone that has to fight to get the surgery they need.

Insurance is confusing to me. I think it's more confusing than buying a car. Buying my first car gave me a bad headache. Even though my first appointment with a surgeon is in a couple of days, I have taken the chance to start to eat healthier. So far I've lost 2 pounds. One of the members told me that she started to diet before she got the band because she thought it was silly to wait until she got the band. And this is what I'm doing. You are very young and so I am. So there is still a chance to lose weight and all is not lost if the waiting is long.