Hi everyone,

I'm new to all of this and I know very little about this process. The first thing I wanted to know is what is the first step? Should I talk to my pcp or should I get more info from the insurance company? I just got new insurance about 6 months ago and haven't had to use it much, so I'm not even all that familiar with my plan. I have BCBS of Massachusetts, but I'm not sure if it's PPO or ***. Honestly, I'm having a difficult time navigating around their website to even see what they say about weight loss surgery.

Any info about insurance or any tips about how to get started would be greatly appreciated.

This forum is great - you can find ton of info here.

And to start the process - find the best lap band doctor in your area who accepts your insurance (you might find some info in this forum http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forum/1140-massachusetts/) and talk to your pcp.

Good luck!!!

yes, contact your insurance first and see if they cover it. many will only cover "centers of excellence" so you would have to make sure the lap band doctor you choose works in one of those if they require it. after checking with the insurance and finding a doctor, schedule to attend a seminar with that doctor. they should give you all the info you need on what they require that may or may not be different from your insurance. i know my insurance didn't require as much as my doctor did, so i had to jump through a lot of hoops.

good luck!

I would make an initial consultation with your doctor. They have tons of experience and can let yyou know what your type of insurance requires. You might want to get the ball rolling because it can take a while to get everything done. Good luck to you!

More than likely the first place to start is with your PCP because you may need a referral and also this doctor can recommend you to a good bariatric (weight loss surgeon) doctor. After that you will make an appointment with the surgeon and he will probably send you out an information packet. You will fill out the information and send it back. It will include a detailed history of you and what attempts you have made to lose weight in the past. Think of all the programs you have tried and failed at. After they receive this information, you will be invited to an information seminar where there will be other people there who are also wanting the surgery. They will discuss your options for the types of surgery available, lap band, RNY (gastric bypass), gastric sleeve, etc. Once you have completed this, you may then want to get any testing done that the doc requires. also, many require you to see a psychiatrist or psychologist for an evaluation to make sure you are mentally stable enough to withstand this life altering surgery. There may also be nutrition classes and a visit to a dietitian. Once all of this is done, they will submit your paperwork to the insurance company for approval. You will be given a date and 2-3 weeks before the date, you will probably go on a Protein (liquid) diet. This diet is given to shrink the liver as it can sometimes get in the way of the stomach. Oh, some insurance companies require 6 months of a medically supervised diet before you can have the surgery. If you have attended weight watchers under a doctors care, this might help or Nutrisystem/Jenny Craig, etc.

Hope this helps. It is a fairly time consuming process, but depending upon how quickly you move and how busy the surgeon is, it doens't have to be too long from start to finish, except if you need that 6 month diet and don't have one you can use.

Take care and good luck.

K

Thank you for all the info. I'm going to call my doctor on Monday to make an appointment. I need a physical for school anyway, so the timing works out that way. As far as I can tell, I meet all the requirements. But I will wait and see what my pcp says.