Hello all. I’m new to the forum. I am half way thru my 6-month weigh in’s and hoping to have surgery in Jan 2013. Does anyone here have United Health Care? I am trying to figure out how long it takes to get approval. I am hearing so many stories and most of them are scary. Also – I understand that I need to write a letter. Does anyone have advice on what to write? Should I pull on heart strings or just state facts of my diet history?

TIA~

I have UHC as well. My surgeons office did all the communicating with them. Weight loss surgery was an approved benefit through my employer, and since my BMI was higher than their thresh hold I was approved quickly. However, I did need to do the 6 month physician supervied diet and the psych consult before hand. What I would do is look at the benefits UHC provides through your employer. If you see weight loss surgery as a benefit and you are above their BMI thresh hold you should be approved. If you don't see that benefit, it will be more difficult to get approved.

No experience with health care providers for this - except to urge you to treat it as any other important business transaction - get the name, phone number & email of who you are dealing with on the insurance side and a CC for when they are unavalable, the contact name and number & email of who is on your docs side. Email them all reminding them, not asking them, that you need to be included in all correspondence, and all documents are to be scaned and emailed and if not you and the recieving party of the fax are to emailed, with a scan of the fax confirmation if necessary...follow up on all guidelines, and have your policy with you and very, very,very familiar - also check and see if this will change after the new year and if any of it is directed at WLS.

mailed documents should go UPS or Fed Ex for tracebility...request direct signature each time.

Start saving now, if you havent, for the out of pocket extras....and don't go worrying too hard about the protien drinks, don't buy a tub at first! get a few pre-made and go from there.

Good luck.

My insurance does cover and I do meet all of the criteria. I also have to go through the 6 month weigh ins and have a few tests done. I was just wondering how long it takes to get through the process. I'm worried about that part - also worried about for some reason getting the run around.