Well, I am just now starting out and all of this is sooooo confusing! I've been researching for about 6 months and I've come to the conclusion that this is is the thing for me. But I'm so overwhelmed. I dont know where to start. Do I get the ball rolling with insurance first? Or would it be better to talk to my doctor and ask him to send in a request? How to get started? Please help!! Thank you all so much!!

My doctor took care of all that! They have certain papers and a procedure to get approved. Good luck!

Well, I am just now starting out and all of this is sooooo confusing! I've been researching for about 6 months and I've come to the conclusion that this is is the thing for me. But I'm so overwhelmed. I dont know where to start. Do I get the ball rolling with insurance first? Or would it be better to talk to my doctor and ask him to send in a request? How to get started? Please help!! Thank you all so much!!

I do not know your insurance type nor your BMI to give you a specific answer. However, I can share with you the route I chose on this journey: Four months ago, I made a consultation with the surgeon of my choice for the following month [October] on that day he determined whether I was a WLS candidate or not. Due to my intense research on WLS I was only interested in the Lap band single incision through the navel and I made this known to my surgeon. During the consultation he rendered a list of specialists of all who I had to seek clearances from - this is optional since you can go with your own specialists. I scheduled appointments with all the specialists on his list ...days apart from one another since I wanted to get the ball rolling ASAP. The bariatric clearances took three months total for me to acquire. Due to my insurance change, I was scheduled to have surgery at the end of the third month. First, find out if your insurance pays for this type of surgery - IF you are opting to go that route and are not self-pay. Nevertheless, make sure you go with a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence when choosing your surgeon. Once you find a board certified surgeon, book a consultation with him/her to discuss your possible candidacy for WLS. Hope my answer helps you.

Look for a "EXCELLENT SURGEON" in your state or area. When you look up the Hospitals, Look for whats called "CENTER OF EXCELLENCE'" in Bariatric surgery. A lot of your Ins Companies will require that you go to a Center Of Excellence only ! After you have figured out who you want to go to "people here can give you feedback in your area, if you say were you are from" Give them a call, and you will attend a Orientation. In the meantime check out if your Ins. covers this, or maybe you are self pay? Let your family Doctor know so you can be set up for monthly visits Weigh inns. Your Ins. company could be a couple months of visits or up to 2 yrs. If you are self pay? You will still have to talk to your Doctor to see about tests that you might have had done that are under a year old. The surgeon will set it all up. But you still need to find out so you know what this whole process consists of.

I wouldn't suggest Mexico... Because if anything goes wrong ! You have to travel back to the surgeon that worked on you. It can be hard to find a surgeon to re-do someone else's work.

I know,, I am going threw that now. My Port or Tube leaks, and I have moved, so I am trying to get this surgeon to look at it, and hope he will re-do the whole thing. That way I can go to him for my fills... There are fill centers to go to, but if you see a surgeon in your area, they will do all your fills.

Hope this helps. You will enjoy your journey. I'm sure. Just remember, this is a plastic tool, and it will break in time. So be prepared for Revision or Repair Surgery. It might take years, but eventually things need to be replaced.

Welcome to Lap Land.

Shirley

Banded 10/31/06

Dr Genaw

Henry Ford Hospital "Center of Excellence"

Michigan

I choose my doctor and filled out the form they required to see if I "fit" for bariatric surgery, i.e. BMI, co-morbidity issues etc. Once I was "okay'd" by them, they contacted me and I scheduled my consultation with the surgeon. At that appointment I was give a book of instructions, prescriptions for testing, and the steps to follow. I have to do a six month (consectutive) weigh-in with my PCP or you can do six months of "lifestyle" visits with the surgeons program. I had to see a nutritionalist and get a psych evaluation. I also have to see a pulmonolosist for clearance for surgery (some do, some don't). Once I get my sixth weigh in from the PCP and since my nutrition and psych eval are done, the surgeons office will submit paperwork to insurance company. WHen you have your consultation, they are pretty knowledgeable of each insurance companies requirements and will help you out. After paperwork is submitted, I sit and wait. If I'm approved, I schedule my blood work and ekg....and off to surgery I go....

Start with the surgeon and consultation....they should be really great at guiding you (mine has been). Good luck

Well, I am just now starting out and all of this is sooooo confusing! I've been researching for about 6 months and I've come to the conclusion that this is is the thing for me. But I'm so overwhelmed. I dont know where to start. Do I get the ball rolling with insurance first? Or would it be better to talk to my doctor and ask him to send in a request? How to get started? Please help!! Thank you all so much!!

Did you attend a lapband seminar yet? If not, do it. They take all your info and do the work for you. They contact your insurance co for approval etc. they set up all your appt. with nutritionist, psycologist and do all necessary preop work. But you also have to corrolate all this with your primary care physician also. You have to have a 6 month wt. loss diary in order for most insurances to cover this surgery. This means you have to have 6 months worth of dr. visits showing you attempted to lose wt. and how you did it. It has to be 6 consecutive months. So good luck to you and I hope I answered some of your questions. Keep in mind that all surgeons are different as well as all insurance companies. So the requirements may vary. Keep us posted.