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I should have mentioned mine is BCBSNC

I was reading in this forum and noticed that we both have BCBSNC. Did you have to do a 6 month monitored program prior to approval?

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I was reading in this forum and noticed that we both have BCBSNC. Did you have to do a 6 month monitored program prior to approval?

No monitored program at all. If you log with you user I'd and password to the BCBSNC website and put Bariatric Surgery into the search bar the entire policy and requirements will come up. They were VERY quick on approval, my doctors office ws even surprised by it.

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No monitored program at all. If you log with you user I'd and password to the BCBSNC website and put Bariatric Surgery into the search bar the entire policy and requirements will come up. They were VERY quick on approval' date=' my doctors office ws even surprised by it.[/quote']

Ok thanks. My insurance coordinator informed me that BCBSNC would be changing their requirements as of September 1st. So I'm wondering if I get approved prior to the changes taking effect if they will pay for it if the surgery is scheduled after the first?

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Ok thanks. My insurance coordinator informed me that BCBSNC would be changing their requirements as of September 1st. So I'm wondering if I get approved prior to the changes taking effect if they will pay for it if the surgery is scheduled after the first?

I think I read on the BCBSNC website that their requirements would be changing September 15 th or something but it looked like they were requiring less criteria to be approved moving forward. Either way they already approved me and I'm scheduled for September 3rd. If you sign on to the site it shows all of the new criteria also, that's where I saw it.

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I think I read on the BCBSNC website that their requirements would be changing September 15 th or something but it looked like they were requiring less criteria to be approved moving forward. Either way they already approved me and I'm scheduled for September 3rd. If you sign on to the site it shows all of the new criteria also' date=' that's where I saw it.[/quote']

I checked it today. The changes take effect on 09/10 and as of that date they are requiring 6 months of a medically monitored diet. Congratulations on your approval!!! How long did it take them to approve you?

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I checked it today. The changes take effect on 09/10 and as of that date they are requiring 6 months of a medically monitored diet. Congratulations on your approval!!! How long did it take them to approve you?

Thank you! They were really quick, I had an answer within 36 hours. If you were able to get all of your criteria and schedule a date it's possible to get it approved before the 9/10 change. From first doctors appointment to approval took me 5 weeks.

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Thank you! They were really quick' date=' I had an answer within 36 hours. If you were able to get all of your criteria and schedule a date it's possible to get it approved before the 9/10 change. From first doctors appointment to approval took me 5 weeks.[/quote']

I hope so. I had my initial appointment this week. I have an appointment with the dietician on 07/31, fitness specialist on 08/05, psych/mrt on 08/09 and endoscopy on 08/15...I'm hopeful that everything will be submitted before September even gets here!

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A couple of days for me. From the time I first saw the doctor to the surgery day was about one month for me. I live in Texas and have Blue Cross Blue Shield.

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how long does it take for idpa to approve? (illinois dept. of public aid)?

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Mine look less than 2 days! Bcbs *** blue option NYS medicaid....

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I have Empire BC/BS and my surgeon's office submitted the paperwork on 7/19 or 7/22 and I got my approval today!!

Hope all who are waiting on that approval call/letter get it soon!!

Is this NY empire? I haven't submitted yet. Can you tell me what your requirements were? Every time I call them they never tell me in full.

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I have BCBSNC - approved in 48 hours. Had my surgery 9/3...

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Has anyone dealt with bcbs of Illinois? I had a difficult time getting them to confirm that I even had the benefits with the insurance coordinator. Really worried the won't approve me.

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Has anyone dealt with bcbs of Illinois? I had a difficult time getting them to confirm that I even had the benefits with the insurance coordinator. Really worried the won't approve me.

From all I've read here and elsewhere BCBS of Illinois will approve it, if your employer has included Bariatric surgery in their policy.

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From all I've read here and elsewhere BCBS of Illinois will approve it' date=' if your employer has included Bariatric surgery in their policy.[/quote']

Thank you! They gave me the run around so much I was worried.

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      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.
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      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.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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