hey ya'll!

i don't have a surgery date yet, but almost. i went to seminar and had all the labs done, and now i see the surgeon on oct 6th. i am so excited and kinda scared. everything i have read on here about tricare and having to wait so long and do a 6 month diet isn't so. believe me, i am relieved. they said it would be a total of 4-8 months. that is awesome. i am a navy wife with tricare prime going to MTF so i just wanted to throw that out there. also, this site is wonderful. kudos to everyone!!!!

I'M SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED!!!!! :biggrin::lol2:

Hello! My PCM referred me to the Bariatrics office in August, had my info meeting August 4th, consult august 25th and I am due for surgery on october 19th! Tricare has been awesome, no problems or requirements at all besides being above 40% BMI ... My surgeon said they are the easiest insurance company!!

Thanks for the reply. I'm still waiting to hear back on some labs then my PCM is going to refer me to a surgeon. We PCS in March, so I don't know if I'll be able to get it done before we leave.

Did your PCM have you go to a 6 month nutrition class? And did Tricare say anything about a class like that?

Thanks again.

Hey! I had been seeing my doctor every 3 months for blood work because I have PCOS but she never required a diet class or anything like that. All that Tricare requires is that you are above 40% BMI and if not then you have a comorbidity ... Tricare will probably more than likely not be any trouble to you!

I was banded 8/24/10 and was amazed at how easy it was to get approval. Tricare has been great!! My surgeon requires a few classes before surgery, meeting with a dietician, sports medicine therapist & psychiatrist. This took about 3 months only because my schedule was so busy. My BMI was 44 and I have diabetes, high blood pressure and I'm more than 100 lbs over weight, all factors in getting approved.

Good luck to my fellow military wives on this journey!!:drool:

I, too, am a follower of Jesus Christ and a proud Army wife and Navy mom!

Thanks ladies. I'm really excited about this journey. My BMI is 43. So I know I can qualify. 've been over weight my entire life and I am so ready for this life style change!! Thanks for the advice!

*AWANAS Cubbie leader, mother of a AWANAS Sparkie and Puggle and husband to a Cubbie director and AF wife of 7.5 years. :drool: * GOD BLESS!

good luck bama girl! I am an Army wife (retired) worked with tri care and was banded in Jan. Another Army wife friend is going through the process today. No 6 month diet requested for either of us. She went for a pscy evail today and has already heard back from surgery center he sent in the request. Now just waiting on tricare. I was about 6 months toltal for approval.

I am down 41 lbs. So good luck to you!!! keep us posted.

hey ya'll!

thanks for all the replies back. i must admit that i feel kindof jealous of those of you going to civilians and not having to wait so long for surgery :crying:, but that is ok. i just know that when i do get my surgery date it will probably be quick or at least feel quick to me (HOPEFULLY!) not that i want to wait or that i'm not ready. i have to say that since my seminar i have been eating things i know i won't be able to eat after the banding. it is exactly what they said NOT to do so i am going up and down 5 pounds from my seminar weight. on the brighter side, i have been going to the gym and no that isn't my excuse to eat more, LOL. i am eating "things" not "over eating", i think there is a difference :thumbup:.

so i see my surgeon on wed 10/6 and i already know my labs were all good and my rheumatalogist cleared me. if my surgery is before thanksgiving i am gonna have thanksgiving dinner early :thumbup:.

ok, this was long. sorry.

so how is everyone else doing?

Army wife here with tricare prime... from my initial visit with my pcm until my surgery date it was only 6 wks! very quick.

tricare has been awesome throughout the whole experience! the only issue i had was with my pcm/nurses in the beginning trying to tell me tricare didn't cover it, i had my surgery in 08, very shortly after tricare approved them to be done lol.

excited to see so many military wives on here- i had no idea!

Hi everyone! I'm an AF wife, too, (retired) and I was approved through Tricare Prime (North) within 3 days. The longest part of the pre-approval process is all of the medical testing (blood work, sleep study, ekg and pulmonary function tests) and psych eval prior to insurance submittal. But it was still a fairly quick process for me. From my initial appointment with my chosen surgeon to banding was a total of 3 1/2 months!

Good luck to all of you.

I have Tricare Reserve Select and it was VERY easy. The only issue I had at all with insurance was actually the (civilian) hospital's fault coding me with the wrong type of Tricare, which actually caused a delay of surgery and much more $$$--but it was rescheduled, and I eventually got a refund. I love Tricare, but would love it even more if providers understood it!

Hello I have Tricare Reserve Select and u seam to know alot about what to expect and what to do. I have my first visit with the doctor next week. I guess my question is what should I expect my out-of-pockect cost to be? My catastrophic cap has been met or very close to being met. Can u pls help me? Thanks

Hello I have Tricare Reserve Select and u seam to know alot about what to expect and what to do. I have my first visit with the doctor next week. I guess my question is what should I expect my out-of-pockect cost to be? My catastrophic cap has been met or very close to being met. Can u pls help me? Thanks

I have RS too and I was told my surgery will be 20% after deductible and $25 max for the hospital stay. Sadly, its not as good as Prime, but it's pretty darn close! I am not far enough along to know about any other possible charges.

Tri care was great for me too! I had standard, I don't like hmo deal. I got an approval in less than a week from my paperwork being sent in! with very very very minimal out of pocket cost.

I have standard, I don't know if thats like reserve select...The only thing I had to pay for was my dr co pays (15$) when I went into the office and for my surgery/hospital stay was 50 deductable which had already been met..and a 25 dollar co pay for outpatient surgery.

I have RS too and I was told my surgery will be 20% after deductible and $25 max for the hospital stay. Sadly, its not as good as Prime, but it's pretty darn close! I am not far enough along to know about any other possible charges.

Hi everyone please help me.... did hear tri care just changed there policy and now make u do 6 months of documented weightloss with no results.... is this true anyone got approved without being on a 6 month program....??

I didn't have to do the 6 month diet but who knows, call them!