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Changing Insurances Will I Have To Start Over?



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Hi everyone!!! So on 4/21 is my last nutritionist appointment and on 4/27 I have my first of 2 psychological evaluations. Now I have a question about insurance. Right now I'm currently on Vermont state health insurance and I already know that it covers lap band surgery. Now my husband just started a new job as an over the road truck driver last month. On July 1st I am covered under his insurance which I believe is Blue Cross Blue Shield. Does anyone know if I would have to redo EVERYTHING in order for them to cover my surgery? I hope not. I'm hoping to have my surgery before my insurance switches but I don't know how fast everything will go. Thanks :)

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Only if they require specific things. I don't know if you're currently on a supervised diet, but that could be one of the stipulations. I would also check to see what the new insurance says about pre-existing conditions- I read on here once that a woman had to wait a year to get surgery after starting her new insurance because the obesity was considered pre-existing...

Can you see the benefits under the new plan? And are you sure they cover WLS or treatment of obesity?

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Well I looked and it said that for pre-qualifications u need a BMI of 40.0 which mine is 43.1 and need to have been overweight for at least the last 5 year which I've been overweight since age 12. I have been seeing a nutritionist for the last 6 months which is what my current insurance wanted me to do. I've done all the test and exams that my current insurance has asked for. I'm just nervous that they will make me wait which one big reason behind my decision for weight loss surgery is to help me lose weight so my PCOS gets better and I can get pregnant more easily. I'm 107 pounds away from goal weight of 160 pounds.

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Are you on a 6 month supervised diet? I would imagine you would be getting banded prior to July (correct me if I'm wrong). I would wonder if you can get the new insurance to pay for maintenance? I wonder if you will need to apply to get the fills/maintenance when you switch?

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Yeah 4/21 is my last visit with my nutritionist. It's been supervised and I see him once a month and he documents everything. I don't have to worry about fills and maintenance afterwards because the place I'm going has a $250 Bariatric program fee and that pays for all the fills and unfills for as long as u have the band. I'm praying I get it before July 1st :)

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You shouldn't need to redo things. My job changed our insurance like 3 months prior to my surgery. I had already done 3 months of the 6 months and all of my requirements. (EGD, chest rad, psych, etc) and had no problem with being approved.

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Jess55 - that makes me feel sooo much better lol I was so nervous. Which it I've already done the stuff then I figure that I shouldn't have to do it again ESPECIALLY since someone else paid for it and my new insurance wouldn't have to pay for all the testing again. I'm pushing to have surgery before July 1st so that way I don't have to deal with worrying about my new insurance

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      · 0 replies
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      · 2 replies
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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.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • 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💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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