So I went to the doctor and he said I'm a good canidate, so just waiting for insurance. I have UHC and I was told that our company will approve me. I have started my other doctor appointments. Does everyone have to go to other these other doctors for blood work, chest x-ray, psych eval, and nutrionist? How long does it usually take before I would have a surgery date?

welcome aboard! I am a few weeks away from my surgery, so I am certainly not an expert...but I can tell you my experience. I went to an information session in Oct. 09...and then got my pcp to refer me to my surgeon. And yes....most of us all had to go thru certain tests...depending on your doc/insurance/current medical history. I had an upper GI, met with nutritionist, psych eval, and lots of in between visits with the surgeon. I am scheduled for 4/28! So it took me about 6 months from start to the new start of my life!

Enjoy the process.....so exciting!

For me, it was about 4 months from my first appointment to my surgery date. Had to jump through the hoops with all the appointments you mentioned. I had already fulfilled the insurance company's requirement of being on a diet for 6 months prior to my first appointment, so this made getting approved go much faster.

I have united health care as well and with the plan that I have from my employer it went fairly quickly. Went to a seminar 2-27-10, Appt with PCP 3-2-10, had blood work, sleep test, barium test and spoke with a nutritionist. Paper work sent to insurance on 3-25-10, was approved on 4-1-10. Surgery is scheduled for 4-23, currently on pre op diet =D

I have to to do everything you have to, but I won't be able to get my band until Jan 2011. I have had my first consult with the surgeon and dietician on the 6th; on the 20th I see the psych; and on the 3rd of May I have my EGD done. I also started my 6 month "diet" yesterday. The rest of the stuff I can get done in the next several months at my leisure as long I have them all done by December. My paperwork will be submitted Jan 1 2011, then I just have to wait for approval!

Hi, there, welcome to the journey!

I had my first consult in June last year, and was banded in late February. My insurance required a 6 month supervised diet, which the surgeon's office took care of, and then I had a bit of a wait due to weather delays and the like.

Inbetween, I had a slew of testing...abdominal sonogram, doppler studies of my leg veins, echocardiogram, EKG, stress test, chest xray, 2 sets of blood work, sleep study, pulmonary function studies, arterial blood gas, upper GI, colonoscopy, plus the nutritionist visits and the psych eval...after awhile, I was pretty much convinced I had seen just about every specialist in my area! On the other hand, that 6 month period gave me the time I needed to get all of that accomplished, and during that time, they found a couple of things I wasn't aware of that I was able to address pre-surgically, so I don't begrudge any of it. And, my surgery was approved the first time through, so that was an additional blessing.

Hang in there- I know it seems like a long haul, but you'll find yourself having the surgery almost before you know it!

Best wishes,

Christine

Yes, those doctor clearances are customary.

How long you must wait depends on the specific insurance policy you or your employer purchased from UHC; depending on the coverage purchased, there may be a requirement that you have dietary supervision for 3-6 months. Before you gasp, my insurance required 3 months, and the time was gone by the time I got all the other appointments taken care of---it goes quickly!

The only way to know for sure what is ahead of you is to get a copy of your policy and read it carefully. It will very clearly spell out how they manage bariatric surgery.

Good luck! No matter what the wait, you'll soon be among the banded. Use the time until then to really educate yourself about what to expect postop so there aren't any big surprises :biggrin: