On Dec 18th, I met my surgeon to start my new life. 1st I have to wait (jump thru hoops) 6 months because of medicare guidelines. I have to meet with a dietician once a month for 6 months and am required to lose at least 20 pounds to show my commitment to losing weight. If I miss a dietician appt. the 6 months starts over! Believe you me, I will have to be near death to miss one. I have waited 2 years to get medicare, counting the month knowing I would qualify for this. At first the added 6 months upset and deflated me, but after meeting the dietician I am considerably happier. She has instantly cut my calories and has me recording what I eat. I guess we will be shrinking the caloriesa little as months go on to better prepare me for very little food, which when thinking about it, makes a lot of sense.

So far I have lost 12 pounds. That 20 is gonna be a piece of cake! errr maybe that was the wrong food choice eeekkkkk

At least I've started! weeeeeeeeeeee

Roni

Hi, I'm going thru the same thing....I'm 4 months in. Good luck!

the 6 monts goes by fast and then before you know it, You are a bandster and everything changes. slow moving but worth the wait. good luck

It goes faster than you think. Work on getting all your paper work together. Yay!

I don't understand. Medicare did not require ANY waiting period for either me or my guy. We just had to enter an approved Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, and we were automatically approved. We had our first visit with the surgeon on December 8th, and our surgeries are scheduled for next week. Could it be that someone's giving you the wrong information?

The time will go really fast, I had to jump through hoops too for my insurance company. I went to WW for the six months supervised weight loss, 42# before 13# in the 3 weeks since surgery. When I finally got approval and a surgery date I was sooooo excited and still am. You'll love the Bandster life.

I don't understand. Medicare did not require ANY waiting period for either me or my guy. We just had to enter an approved Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, and we were automatically approved. We had our first visit with the surgeon on December 8th, and our surgeries are scheduled for next week. Could it be that someone's giving you the wrong information?

Same here. I'm on Medicare and I only had to prove BMI and a condition making the surgery necessary. (GERDS, osteoarthritis, high blood pressure, diabetes, etc.)

Medicare requirements are the same across the board, everywhere. I agree with bev712, perhaps someone is giving you bad information?

My insurance is actually Secure Horizon Medicare Advanatge and supposedly they follow the medicare guidelines. I was given a copy of the print out that the insurance company sent the doctor, so I know it's legit. In fact doctor told me, medicare had just added the "lose 20# or 10% of body weight" that week. Lucky me. But I am doing ok with it now.

Wow, I really thought all Medicare was the same, but apparently it's not. I got my approval a couple days before Christmas, and didn't have surgery until Jan. 6, and I didn't run into any of that.

I'm so sorry you have this issue. I have a lot of respect for you for sticking to this despite how hard they are making it.

Best wishes to you