I have a friend married to a professor that in at a convention in regards to weight loss and obesity.

This is the email she just sent me.

I wanted to tell you that my huband is at a nutrition/obesity meeting in Atlanta and was told that the requirement to lose weight before weight loss surgery was just dropped. I know you mentioned that insurance co was requiring you to diet before surgery. There is supposed to be absolutely no good evidence for that requirement.

I sure hope this is true. Does anyone else know about this.

Just2b

I have a friend married to a professor that in at a convention in regards to weight loss and obesity.

This is the email she just sent me.

I wanted to tell you that my huband is at a nutrition/obesity meeting in Atlanta and was told that the requirement to lose weight before weight loss surgery was just dropped. I know you mentioned that insurance co was requiring you to diet before surgery. There is supposed to be absolutely no good evidence for that requirement.

I sure hope this is true. Does anyone else know about this.

Just2b

I can tell you my experience. When I called my insurance company to find out what the requirements are I the rep had to find documents to refer to as he didn't know. The document said I was required to undergo a 12 month medically supervised diet before I would be approved. When I called the surgeons office (and what I found from other sleever's with my same insurance company) was that this was not true. The 12 month diet was outdated information and I didn't have to furnish any documentation history besides my weight over the last five years.

I have read a lot on this site and most people had to lose 25-50 lbs before their surgery. My nutritionist only wants me to lose 5 before the surgery. I never could understand why my requirements could be so different.

I find the weight loss requirement interesting because it varies so much from surgeon to surgeon. My surgeon and nutritionist have said nothing about weight loss before surgery. I meet with them Thursday for my last appointment so I might have a goal for my liquid diet. I have read and re-read all the literature the office has given me and no where do they want a weight loss. I see some people on here have a big requirement!

I really wish insurance companies would do away with the 6-12 diets. It makes no sense, many if us are able to lose the weight. Keeping it off is a whole different story. They make you wait so much.

My Doc asked for 20 lbs before surgery, and the insurance required 3 months with nutritionist. I have been on pre-op liquid for a week now, surgery is set for 25th this month. Have lost additional 10 lbs this week on liquid but it's tough going.

I am still waiting to talk to the GI coordinator about diet or weight loss before surgery. Hopefully the rules are changing and we don't have to jump through all the diet hoops.

I really wish insurance companies would do away with the 6-12 diets. It makes no sense, many if us are able to lose the weight. Keeping it off is a whole different story. They make you wait so much.

At first, I had the same opinion as you. I was really bothered by the idea that I had to wait six months. However I have become quite grateful to experience getting mentally prepared for this huge life change. The mental hunger, being asked to go out for the occasional beer, not planning meals in advance and totally eating the wrong stuff -- and too much of it... all of these are going to be things I'll be faced with as it gets easier to eat later on post sleeve. I just really feel like this is giving me a chance to screw up and self-correct while I still can. I am really glad they asked me to go through this "trial". In the scheme of things, I feel like six months isn't too terribly long. (I get sleeved in Jan/Feb of next year.)

Just my two cents!

My surgeon's office requires that patients lose 10% of the amount of weight they are overweight. As I was 220 lbs. overweight ( ) I had to lose 22 lbs. prior to surgery, which I have already done by the beginning of month 4 of medically supervised weight loss.

My insurance requires 6 months MSWL and my surgeon's office requires 3 (so, even in the case of there not being an insurance requirement, the doctor's office wants to make sure you can follow through on a diet). Surgeon's office also requires a psych evaluation, which I just had last week, meeting with a nutritionist near the surgery date, an endoscopy after insurance approval and attending at least one support group session.

My insurance didn't require a weight loss necessarily, just that you participate in a 6-month diet and exercise plan facilitated/monitored by your doctor. I didn't lose any weight. In fact, because my BMI was borderline for insurance to cover it, I had to maintain my weight to remain eligible.

My insurance requires a 2 weeks liquid diet. Today is my first day and i am dying. It is so hard. Im told to lose 20 pounds or surgery is off. Yeah i heard it's to shrink my liver but 2 weeks #Shakingmyhead

My insurance didn't require me to lose any weight or go on a supervised diet. My surgeon did require me to lose 10-15 pounds prior to my pre-op appt. I am thinking this is similiar to the other posters 10% of excess weight, because I needed to lose 128 pounds. In addition to the 10-15 pounds I did a 10 day liquid Protein shake diet. None of this was about discipline or diet. It was to help shrink my liver.

Just my experience.

Bonnie

I just had to do a week of misery to shrink my liver. But, I was self pay... So I guess they're like 'you pays your money, you takes your choice'...

As I understand it, anyone with a BMI over 45 had a much tougher time...

How could I have forgotten! My surgeon's office requires that I do a FIVE WEEK liquid diet prior to surgery. It would have been SIX weeks if I hadn't lost the 22 lbs. I have lost during the MSWL! Six weeks is the maximum and is for patients over 350 lbs.

My insurance required 6 months PCP weigh ins, no requirements as far as how much to loose. Doctors office had no requirement.

As a matter of fact, my insurance doesn't require that I lose weight, it's the Dr's office that requires it. Somethings wrong with this picture...