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Anyone approved after an appeal



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Insurance denied my 1st attempt for revision; band showed no malfunction (although I was vomiting & food was getting stuck. I was hoping for band to sleeve; however latest upper GI says I have a paraesophageal hiatal hernia...reflux is bad. Sleeve is no longer an option. Now my doctors office is going to send an appeal letter for revision to RNY. Bariatric coordinator says it may not be approved just because it is a hernia & may not be band related. Of course, I'm hoping she is wrong. I sit here thinking should have done RNY in the 1st place instead of the band. I am 30 lbs away from gaining my weight back i lost with the band; which was 90 lbs. I'm just frustrated with the negative thoughts of the coordinator.

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Even though I didn't have a revision or anything I was denied because I hadn't taken prescribed meds for weight loss. I appealed then I was approved within four days. I think it all comes down to the people at the office if they really push for you they will jump through to make it happen

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I was denied and then denied again with my appeal and then the surgeon scheduled something called a "peer-to-peer" review. That seemed to do the trick.

Apparently, this peer-to-peer review is my doctor scheduling a phone call with an actual doctor from the insurance and my doctor explaining all the problems I was having with my lap-band and that I now have a hernia, which could cause bigger issues.

It worked and I was approved. It wasn't a quick process by any means, but it worked. Between each of the appeals and the doctor review the insurance has 30-days to respond.(Response time could be different based on ins. company rules.)

My whole process was 8-mths long, but I started with one doctors office and changed due to his horrendous staff and poor bed-side manner, so the process started over.

Good luck!!! I am having surgery 09/16th and I am soooooo excited.

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I'm glad it's working out now & you have a date.

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I was denied and then denied again with my appeal and then the surgeon scheduled something called a "peer-to-peer" review. That seemed to do the trick.

Apparently' date=' this peer-to-peer review is my doctor scheduling a phone call with an actual doctor from the insurance and my doctor explaining all the problems I was having with my lap-band and that I now have a hernia, which could cause bigger issues.

It worked and I was approved. It wasn't a quick process by any means, but it worked. Between each of the appeals and the doctor review the insurance has 30-days to respond.(Response time could be different based on ins. company rules.)

My whole process was 8-mths long, but I started with one doctors office and changed due to his horrendous staff and poor bed-side manner, so the process started over.

Good luck!!! I am having surgery 09/16th and I am soooooo excited.[/quote']

Thanks and good luck to you as well!

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Even though I didn't have a revision or anything I was denied because I hadn't taken prescribed meds for weight loss. I appealed then I was approved within four days. I think it all comes down to the people at the office if they really push for you they will jump through to make it happen

Yes that's true. Hopefully my coordinator sent off my appeal paperwork. I haven't talked to her since last week. So now I'm just waiting.

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Good luck!!!!! I'm sending you positive vibes!

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I got approved. Thanks for those positive vibes : )

Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy! I'm so excited for you!!

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I was approved after my appeal. I wrote a letter I'm addition to 10 years of paperwork showing when I started having troubles.

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I was just approved for band to rny revision after a peer to peer denial, and cpt code denials. My band is in bad shape..had been for over 2 of the 3 years having it...my surgeon told me I am band resistent..I have an 11cc band but I have me than 4cc in my band, I will be to right causing reflux/GERD issues. I have had hiatal hernia repair, band repositioning, multiple unfills, extreme wright regain...I'm back to my pre band weight... I went to a new surgeon..wonderful lady...very informative..very knowledgeable and willing to help fix what another surgeon did. She requested revision to rny...

After 3 long months of dealing with this insurance company, I have been approved after an appeal...I have my revision 1/16. A week before my birthday. Im excited....im miserable with this band...extra weight..just miserable.....GOOD IS GOOD

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After my approval on band removal, and denial on RNY...my Doc's insurance gal said she spoke w/BCBS and I have to go thru the psych eval. and nutritional classes again. She felt that it would be approved then. Since then the Upper GI showed a hiatal hernia and a small stricture that my surgeon wanted to check out (plan is to do both removal and RNY in one surgery)...so I had an EGD last week and he said the stricture is not big enough to worry about, definitely having bad reflux, he took a biopsy to make sure no bacteria infection in stomach, and nothing too bad to make us do 2 surgeries. I see him again next week, hoping to get all scheduled and on my way soon. Congrats on your approvals! It is such a relief to know that denials can be turned around. Thanks for sharing.

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      · 2 replies
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    • Alisa_S

      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.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      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.
      · 1 reply
      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.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

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

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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