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Lap Band Approval Pending..



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Just wondering how long it took y'all to get approval from your insurance and is there anything I can do to speed the process up? I'm so readyyyy now!

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My information was sent to both of my insurance companies on 11/4/2011. I called every day to both of them and yesterday I was told approved by BCBS but had to wait till this morning for them to really mean the approval. Then I called UHC, today and asked if it made a difference that they were my secondary and the ysaid yes, why did we get all of this paperwork ? I said I am unsure what you are saying, she said because UHC is secondary, I didn't need to send all 22 pages of information, when it comes to secondary you just submit it to be paid. UHC said if BCBS said yes ,then we say yes. I am still uneasy about them just giving me an approval over the phone. And I don't get a copy of the approvals! Just the Dr. Both places said they faxed it over already and my dr's office is saying no they don't have it and no date can be set till they get it. I call BCBS back and now the so called nice nurse is not so nice anymore, she said I faxed it and if the dr's office is saying no, then they have to call not you! I was like hey, this is my policy and my life, why don't I get a copy of this approval letter? She said have dr office to call and hung up. Drives me crazy !! So best advice call them daily and ask for a reference number. Good luck!

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My information was sent to both of my insurance companies on 11/4/2011. I called every day to both of them and yesterday I was told approved by BCBS but had to wait till this morning for them to really mean the approval. Then I called UHC, today and asked if it made a difference that they were my secondary and the ysaid yes, why did we get all of this paperwork ? I said I am unsure what you are saying, she said because UHC is secondary, I didn't need to send all 22 pages of information, when it comes to secondary you just submit it to be paid. UHC said if BCBS said yes ,then we say yes. I am still uneasy about them just giving me an approval over the phone. And I don't get a copy of the approvals! Just the Dr. Both places said they faxed it over already and my dr's office is saying no they don't have it and no date can be set till they get it. I call BCBS back and now the so called nice nurse is not so nice anymore, she said I faxed it and if the dr's office is saying no, then they have to call not you! I was like hey, this is my policy and my life, why don't I get a copy of this approval letter? She said have dr office to call and hung up. Drives me crazy !! So best advice call them daily and ask for a reference number. Good luck!

Goodness, how annoying. I'm nervous because I have blue cross primary and secondary but I know only my secondary policy covers lap-band. I'm worried about if they see my primary deny they are automatically going to deny also and will have to appeal.

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I think its odd that you do not get a copy of the approval letter. I have Aetna and they faxed the approval to my surgen and then mailed me a copy. I am keeping that just in case they come back later and try to say they never approved it

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I have been waiting for Aetna to make a decision on my surgery for 2 weeks today. I have also been calling every day. There isn't anything I know of that you can do to speed up the process. I'm a little nervous.. not sure why it's taking them so long.

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I called my insurance and neither of them have anything on file yet. Makes me really aggravated! Been trying to call dr office to see what's going on but can't get anyone and no one has bothered calling me back yet. :(

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i called my insurance company everyday..they got sick of me by the second day and approved me lol

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Cigna took a whole 33 days to deny me. They said that my 6 month supervised diet was insufficient documentation and that it needed to have been within the last 24 months. The policy however clearly states that if I have documented obesity for five years I can use records older than 24 months but still within the five years. We've resubmitted with more recent paperwork but my concern now is that it's not all from the same provider. I'm sick to my stomach over this. I can't understand why it took them so long to deny SMH. I hope you guys have better success with getting approved.

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I am waiting on an approval from BCBSI. I feel confident that I meet their criteria but If they deny me, I will be devastated and just CRUSHED.

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My doctor submitted my paperwork (i have BCBS) on 11/09/2011 and i called today to check on the approval and they told me it was approved on 11/18/2011 --- wahoo!!

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I have BCBS Federal as primary. I didn't even know that it had been submitted until I received a copy of the request for more information. I called the next day to see if they had received the information requested and they said that I was approved. I worried a lot for mothing. My surgery is scheduled for 12/2. I start my Protein Shakes on Friday. Had my preop yesterday and it is a go subject to the approval of my PCP. I has a recent infection. But I do not think she will turn me down. She is the one who recommended it. Tomorrow my relationship with food ad I know it ends. I am ready to continue on my journey to good health

Good luck to all of you,

Nelinda

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
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    • KimBaxleyWilson

      Three months and four days ago... I was in Costa Rica having a life changing surgery! Yesterday we had a followup visit with Dr. Esmeral via video chat and this morning my middle number changed.  I'm down 47lbs and two pants sizes. I can wear a Large tshirt for the first time in like... 14 years! Woot!! Everything is going great. I have zero regrets. I went down to the riverwalk with a friend and walked 2 miles on Monday without even getting fatigued. And no more snoring or chugging pickle juice for crazy leg cramps! I need to go to the gym more... I'm making new shirts next week so that will motivate me. LOL But I'm also just not as TIRED all the time! I have a LONG way to go...but seeing the progress on the scales and in the mirror is a huge motivator!! Thank you all for cheering me on and supporting me!!
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      https://alluniqueguide.com/java-burn-coffee-reviews/
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