I have been obese most of my life, I have a BMI of 40 and after a year of researching I have decided to have the LAP Band. I already have attended my seminars, nutrionist, nurse practioner, psyc doc and I have been seeing my doctor for about a year. Unfortunately, I have only seen her every 3 months, now they tell me the Insurance Company may require I see her every month for 6 months. Someone please give me advice about how I can get a round this.:think I am so disappointed to have to wait another 6 months and still not know for sure if they will cover me. Please advise.

i HAVE CIGNA. I AM STARTING MY DOCUMENTATION NOW. SO I AM GOING TO SEE MY PCP EACH MONTH AND DISCUSS MY WEIGHT ETC. LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS.

I ALSO WAS TOLD TO ONLY DISCUSS WEIGHT ISSUES NOT ANY OTHER HEALTH ISSUES. HAS ANYONE HEARD THAT AS WELL?

No, if you want cigna to pay for the visit, it must be about something else first (like high blood pressure, some sort of consultation), then weight loss(or weigh -ins, just make sure he makes notes about it) unless you will be paying for the visits yourself. Cigna will not pay for weight loss treatments and thats what they consider the weigh ins.

Cigna paid for my band 7/05. I also had to see the PCP for 6 months before approval and I always went for something else besides the weight loss and while I was there discussed those the weight loss issues and they were documented...because cigna will cover the band but not to see your PCP for weight loss (crazy!!!).....Six months goes by flying...trust me..I was so dissappointed when I was first denied cause of the 6mth thing..I had everything ready(endoscopy,psyc. eval. stress test, etc)

HANG in there.........Cindy

Hi. I was banded 4/18 and Cigna did cover it. (They will end up paying 80 %). Yes, I did have to go the NEW 6 monts of a doctor supervised diet/weigh -in program even though I had been "dieting" off and on for the past 24 years ! It actually had to be 6 mos. consecutive weigh-ins, progress notes, etc. and then I was OK'd within a day after all was submitted. I understand your frustration as I thought that my 24 years of obesity would have counted , but they want to make sure you can really try your best, can prove you can stick to a program for 6 months and whatever you do , play by all their rules. I had to keep reminding myself that the 6 months would be well worth the rest of my life never weighing this amount again. It was difficult, but the time goes by pretty fast and you will have plenty of time to lose the weight the surgeons may require you to drop. I was banded less than a month ago and have dropped 31.5 pounds since February.......so worth the 6 months ? You bet !!!!!

Just an update here. I spoke to the insurance guru at my surgeon's office. She said I need to do six CONSECUTIVE months of the supervised diet and exercise. So I am at about month 5. I am really sucking at even pretending to be on a diet. I just posted about it in LB Support.