Has anyone else had an absolute nightmare dealing with BCBS of MN??

At first I planned on going the insurance route but once I started working with BCBS and realized how asinine their process is it looks like I will be self paying.

They require the 6 months of doctor guided weight loss, which I am ok with. A BMI over 40 and a psych eval... like most insurances.

But here is the fun part. I meet the BMI but they refuse to pay for any of the doctor guided stuff or the psych eval because they don't deem it medically necessary.

Call me crazy but if I meet the BMI requirements wouldn't you think it be medically beneficial to me to have the surgery, in turn meaning all the prerequisite stuff is necessary??

I have even tried appealing all of this and was still denied. At this point I am not even sure why I pay for medical insurance any more. They don't help for much of anything.

Hello self pay land for me!

Just approved by BCBSMN, finally.

Went through all of the requirements, had everything completed including pre-op diet. The only problem as that the surgeons office submitted a day or two later than planned and BCBS MN would not move on their 10 day requirement. I was at the hospital for surgery on 6/14 waiting, while the surgeon argued with BCBS MN on the phone about the approval processing. In the end had to cancel, and reschedule for 7/1. The ironic thing is that BCBS approved within a day of the original surgery date.

I realize my surgeon should have submitted sooner, but here was a total absence of customer service or compassion on behalf of BCBS MN.

I just got approved last week after a denial and then an appeal with BCBS of MN. The insurance specialist with Bariatric Group said that BCBS of MN is one of the hardest insurance companies she's had to work with. Hang in there!