Has anyone had any luck getting the sleeve approved through bcbs of minnesota?

I will be submitting my information for insurance approval through BCBS Minnesota in a couple weeks. The insurance lady at my doctor's office told me that people requesting the sleeve are usually denied the first time around due to the surgery being considered "investigational/experimental", but that most people are accepted after making an appeal. I will let you know how my insurance coverage turns out as soon as I know. Hopefully we can both be covered, even though it seems like Minnesota just wants to make things difficult for us.

I will be submitting my information for insurance approval through BCBS Minnesota in a couple weeks. The insurance lady at my doctor's office told me that people requesting the sleeve are usually denied the first time around due to the surgery being considered "investigational/experimental", but that most people are accepted after making an appeal. I will let you know how my insurance coverage turns out as soon as I know. Hopefully we can both be covered, even though it seems like Minnesota just wants to make things difficult for us.

hey thanks for responding..have you sent your paperwork in yet? I have one more visit to finish my 6 mo. diet - and then i will send everything in. Where are you having your surgery done? I am going through park nicollet and Methodist hospital- so far everything with them has been great, my only concern is that insurance won't approve me!

hey thanks for responding..have you sent your paperwork in yet? I have one more visit to finish my 6 mo. diet - and then i will send everything in. Where are you having your surgery done? I am going through park nicollet and Methodist hospital- so far everything with them has been great, my only concern is that insurance won't approve me!

I was going to send in the papers last week, but my dietician decided I should probably have one more meeting with her on April 1st just to make sure I completely meet the standards of the six month diet. So unfortunately, I need to wait and submit my stuff on the Monday following my last dietician meeting. I am hoping to have the surgery done at some point this summer (preferably June or July), but I guess it is all up to the insurance company. I am planning on having my surgery done at the Sanford hospital in Sioux Falls, SD (it was the closest hospital to my house that offers bariatric surgery). I am very concerned about not getting approved as well. It would make me so mad and disappointed to go through all of the evaluations, diet consultations, and doctors appointments just to find out they won't approve me. I guess only time will tell.

Keep me posted on how your insurance coverage turns out. Good luck!

I too am waiting. I've done what I can do now it is in the surgeon's hands to write the letter to go in with the insurance lady's input to get prior approval. Patiently, (NOT) waiting to see the results.

hey thanks for responding..have you sent your paperwork in yet? I have one more visit to finish my 6 mo. diet - and then i will send everything in. Where are you having your surgery done? I am going through park nicollet and Methodist hospital- so far everything with them has been great, my only concern is that insurance won't approve me!

I am just starting the whole process, but I was hoping to find out if BCBS in Minnesota will pay for this. Have you got any answers yet? What doctor did you pick at park nicollet. I am also looking in to that hospital.

Well, I'm sitting on the edge of the bed.....hello all....What happened with the outcome of the insurance company? I have the same insurance and will be submitting all my paperwork as well in the next few weeks. I already have the lap band. I'm hoping to have that removed and the sleeve done. I'm super excited, but I'm worried too about the insurance not covering this procedure. I will go with the gastric bypass if needed. They cover that for sure...they need to cover the sleeve too. Please, please let me know what you all have experienced with Blue cross. Keep your fingers crossed....God always has road blocks that we need to jump over, but in the long run, he's wonderful! Thanks so much...Janine

I will be submitting my information for insurance approval through BCBS Minnesota in a couple weeks. The insurance lady at my doctor's office told me that people requesting the sleeve are usually denied the first time around due to the surgery being considered "investigational/experimental", but that most people are accepted after making an appeal. I will let you know how my insurance coverage turns out as soon as I know. Hopefully we can both be covered, even though it seems like Minnesota just wants to make things difficult for us.

Hey, what happened with your insurance (our insurance) did you get approved. I'm dying to hear what I'm going to have to go through. May be by now they will approve it. I'm hoping and praying to God so hard. Keep me posted. Drop me a line when u can. Hope all is well...Janine

Hey, what happened with your insurance (our insurance) did you get approved. I'm dying to hear what I'm going to have to go through. May be by now they will approve it. I'm hoping and praying to God so hard. Keep me posted. Drop me a line when u can. Hope all is well...Janine

Well, my insurance process didn't go good at all. I submitted all of my stuff in March just to get a call saying that bariatric surgery was not covered in my plan as of January 1st. The insurance company made these changes without even bothering to tell me about them. I sent in an unsuccessful appeal saying it was wrong for them to deny me since they changed the details of the policy without telling me. I find it very suspicious that they changed the policy shortly after I started making calls asking about coverage for the sleeve...

I got so sick of dealing with them, so when the new year rolls around, I will be switching insurance companies. If I am denied by the next company, I will just do self pay.

Anyway, I hope my story didn't scare you because I know of alot of people who are now getting approved through bcbs of mn. However, make sure you dont end up like me. If I were you, I would call every other week or two just to check on your policy, because believe me, the only notification you will get about a policy change is when you get your first denial letter.

Good luck and let me know how things turn out for you!

I too have bcbs of mn - and there are so many different plans within that network it is crazy. A lot of what is covered by bcbs of mn depends on the policy that your employer choses. My plan covered bariatric surgery - but not the sleeve until the beginning of June. When I sent in my paperwork on June 10th the planner I was working at from Park Nicollet actually said to me "you know this is going to be denied because they don't cover this surgery?" I told her I knew but then I was going to appeal it. Well much to my suprise I got a phone call just 2 days later and was approved! I couldn't believe it, I was thinking I was going to have to self pay - but the lady at park nicollet told me they started covering the sleeve in early june. If I were you I would give the insurance company a call. Good luck to you!