I am starting literally from the start. I am getting new insurance which is good :smile2:. I wanted to know how to get the process started. Do I need to get an order from the dr saying banding is necessary first? Then, if its approved find a surgeon? I was just wondering what the first steps are. I have done my research and I think this could really help me a lot. thanks!

most surgeons dont require your primary care doctor to say you need it. what i did i googled the surgeons in my area to see to do it then read lots of comments and talk to people who have had surgery done or almost done. At first i went with one then switched cuz rumor was he was getting greedy and not doing his best during surgerys

next step is to call the surgeons office and they will pencil you in for the information session where they tell you about the procedure some numbers and what to expect. also what you need to do to get to surgery point.

good luck! but before going through all the appts call the insurance and make sure they cover it and what stipulations they have. cuz some require a diet and excerise for a certian amount of time.

thanks for the info. I wasnt sure if I needed a primary care to sign off or not since surgeons are doctors lol. Currently, I have university (college) insurance and I dont have a family doctor. So I was worried that would present an issue. And yes I will have to check into whether its covered to begin with. Hope so, I have heard good things from anthem bc/bs:tongue_smilie:

Hi JT! I have Horizon BCBS and things have gone very smoothly for me. My surgery date is October 19th. I started with my primary care physican only because I didn't know where I was supposed to start. He told me that he thought the Band would be great for me and his office set up my first appt with my surgeon, Dr. John Bagnato, and they even checked with BCBS to be sure the procedure was covered before we started the whole process. Both my primary care physican and surgeon have been great and everyone that I have dealt with has been so supportive. Good luck!