Has anyone had any problems getting the gastric sleeve approved with United Health Care?

Yes, I have United Healthcare and I had my surgery Yesterday (june 30th) and just got home from the hospital.

I had to do a 6 month supervised diet for United Healthcare.

good luck

I was just approved in 2 days! I did not have to do a supervised diet. I needed 1 nutrition class, 1 psych evaluation and 5 years of physician documented weight history. I had only been to a doctor twice in the last 5 years (I know that's terrible) so I submitted photographs for the last 10 years just to prove I hadn't accidently been really skinny recently! :thumbup:

Have you been waiting long for your approval? I hope not! Good luck!

I was approved quickly also. Paperwork faxed over on Friday morning, was approved following Monday morning. I have been over 300 lbs since 1988 however, and I have been to every one of my yearly physicals. I have been turned down for bypass several years in a row...but vertical sleeve was easy. I too had to do

2 sleep studies

psych visit

blood work

nutritional counseling

EKG and approval from cardiologist

PCP request letter

and all of that took about 2 months.

Yes, I have United Healthcare and I had my surgery Yesterday (june 30th) and just got home from the hospital.

I had to do a 6 month supervised diet for United Healthcare.

good luck

Did you have a low BMI? What was the reason behind the 6 month supervised diet?

I was just approved in 2 days! I did not have to do a supervised diet. I needed 1 nutrition class, 1 psych evaluation and 5 years of physician documented weight history. I had only been to a doctor twice in the last 5 years (I know that's terrible) so I submitted photographs for the last 10 years just to prove I hadn't accidently been really skinny recently! :thumbup:

Have you been waiting long for your approval? I hope not! Good luck!

Well my paperwork hasnt even been submitted yet. It should be sent in next week. What was your BMI (if you dont mind my asking)?

I was approved quickly also. Paperwork faxed over on Friday morning, was approved following Monday morning. I have been over 300 lbs since 1988 however, and I have been to every one of my yearly physicals. I have been turned down for bypass several years in a row...but vertical sleeve was easy. I too had to do

2 sleep studies

psych visit

blood work

nutritional counseling

EKG and approval from cardiologist

PCP request letter

and all of that took about 2 months.

Wow! That is great. I hope mine goes as smoothly.

I have UHC Choice Plus and was approved within a week,Hope time flies and you hear soon!

I have UHC through my employer-Choice Plus. The requirements were that I had to have a BMI 35 or more, 5 years of documented morbid obesity and 1 or more co-moralities. The requirments vary depending on the employer. I didnt have to have all the other evaluations but my doctor suggested that I have them anyway. So I did 1 nutrition class, psych eval, pulm eval + sleep study, and of course PCP blood work and clearance. I lead a very busy life so I did an appointment a month so from Bariatric seminar to approval took bout 5 months. My surgeon submitted my file to UHC June 11th I found out I was approved via letter on June 23rd. My surgery date is July 19th. I am soooooooooooooooooooo excited. UHC has been surprisingly great and supportive. The agents seemed to be excited for me ( guess my excitement was contagious) and they were extremely helpful and patient ( I called every month just to make sure the requirments hadn't changed amist the political Healthcare debates of this year).

I hope it goes just as smoothly for you. There will be times when you're discouraged and it will seem like the 'little opsticles' are non-stop...trust me I had plenty of them ( I was begining to think that it might be Mid next year before I got a date)....but stay strong :tongue2: its all worth it!

I have insurance through my employer as well. I have the Choice Plus HMO. Do you know if this particular plan covers Bariatric Surgery, or if each employer can add or take away certain coverages from this plan?

Employers have a choice so it varies from company to company for UHC Choice Plus. Call them and ask an agent to confirm what is included in your policy. Good luck!

Does your surgeon's office have a bariatric advocate? One that will talk to the insurance company FOR YOU?

This made ALL the difference with my approval. The years past when I was turned down by UHC for bypass, I had to do the footwork all myself. I'm actually glad the bypass approvals never went through...didn't know about the VSG yet. The surgeon I have now, has an advocate that first called to see what I had to do, I did it, then she submitted the paperwork and got the approval.

At the informational seminar, we were told that she knew WHO to talk to, where as we might get the runaround. I knew from years past, that was true.

Good luck to you....even though I went through some depression from getting over food loss...I would do this again in a heartbeat.

Nope no problems!

It really depends on your employer and what requirements they have it's really a case by case situation.

Some surgeons have pre-surgery testing requirements that can slow your approval down...

No low bmi for me........I was told that United health care required it.

I was denied by UHC Choice Plus. My plan is 35 to 39.9 BMI with 1 co morbidity or 40 or above BMI with no co-morbidities. I had a 36.1 BMI but no co morbidities so no go for me. Now in the process of trying to figure out how much it will cost me a month to finance it. I've been low carbing for a month now and lost around 12 lbs but I've cheated a week at a time twice and gained back 6 lbs and then lost that plus 2 more and the next time gained back 3 lbs within 3 days. I'm so sick of this and just want to get off the up and down crap.

Hoping you get approved very soon!! From what I understand, if they approve you, it's great coverage!!

Prayers are with you KKrandrod....know all too well what you mean....we need to be set free....