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I have BCBS, it took less than 60 days if I remember right, I got 1st letter approval. I had my 1st appt with the surgeon in early Sept 2011, and had my paperwork done and submitted fairly soon after, must of been approved fairly quick as I was able to be banded Dec 13, 2011. They paid for ALL of it, and im extremely grateful to them ! This was a 2nd chance for me and I was' nt going to mess it up, so I listened to my Dr.s rules and have done well so far. Im VERY happy I got banded !

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I have BCBS in Louisville, KY through Catholic Health Initiatives and I have to go through a 6 month program prior to approval and then they will decide. I hope you don't have to go through this too. It is my employer that requires this, not BCBS.

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I have BCBS Federal. I had to go through a 3 month supervised diet but then it only took them about a week or so to approve on the first letter. I had to pay my 15% co pay but it was worth it.

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I have BCBS that's apparently Premera, though I thought it was anthem (long story) and my surgeon just sent in my docs for pre-approval this week. They say this company usually gets back in about two weeks. I also didn't have much in the way of prerequisites. Hoping it stays that way..

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I have BCBS in Louisville, KY through Catholic Health Initiatives and I have to go through a 6 month program prior to approval and then they will decide. I hope you don't have to go through this too. It is my employer that requires this, not BCBS.

Hi Ashey I'm in Shelbyville. What hospital and surgeon are you going to be using? I just went to baptist tonight for my seminar and stopped at the dr ofc to drop my paperwork off at Dr Oldham ofc

Edited by kyrickchick64

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@@kyrickchick64 I am actually out in Hillview, but didn't think many people would know where that is. I will be going to St. Marys with Dr, Lusco. I know 5 of my friends who are nurses that have went to him and they have amazing results. I have also seen the results in some patients.

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I saw another dr here in Shelbyville who works out of that hospital. I didn't really feel the right vibe. I had my knees done at Baptist. I loved the hospital so I figured id get it done there

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@@kyrickchick64 This is a big decision and you have to do what is right for you. I know Baptist is a good hospital and I'm sure that you have selected another excellent surgeon. I choose my Dr. because I know people that have had nothing but good things to say about him and the program. Also I work as a nurse at Jewish downtown which is part of CHI and through our insurance plan we also get better rates with our insurance plan to have the procedure done at a CHI facility with a CHI MD. After doing the research on Dr, Lusco, meeting him in person, seeing my friends results and knowing the out of pocket difference for me the decision was easy. I could honestly care less about the cost, but it is a nice bonus to know I will be able to save a little money as I am planning on starting Grad School next year. When I met Dr. Lusco in person he put my concerns at ease, thoroughly answered my questions, and after explaining to me the reasons my people fail on this I knew I was at the right place.

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I feel the same way with Dr Oldham. He was actually at the seminar and I got to ask him several questions including sleeve vs lap band for my bmi and weight(51, 474) I feel confident in my decision. I appreciate your input. Good luck with your surgery, cya on the other side.

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    • Aunty Mamo

      Iʻm roughly 6 weeks post-op this morning and have begun to feel like a normal human, with a normal human body again. I started introducing solid foods and pill forms of medications/supplements a couple of weeks ago and it's really amazing to eat meals with my family again, despite the fact that my portions are so much smaller than theirs. 
      I live on the island of Oʻahu and spend a lot of time in the water- for exercise, for play,  and for spiritual & mental health. The day I had my month out appointment with my surgeon, I packed all my gear in my truck, anticipating his permission to get back in the ocean. The minute I walked out of that hospital I drove straight to the shore and got in that water. Hallelujah! My appointment was at 10 am. I didn't get home until after 5 pm. 
      I'm down 31 pounds since the day of surgery and 47 since my pre-op diet began, with that typical week long stall occurring at three weeks. I'm really starting to see some changes lately- some of my clothing is too big, some fits again. The most drastic changes I notice however are in my face. I've also noticed my endurance and flexibility increasing. I was really starting to be held up physically, and I'm so grateful that I'm seeing that turn around in such short order. 
      My general disposition lately is hopeful and motivated. The only thing that bugs me on a daily basis still is the way those supplements make my house smell. So stink! But I just bought a smell proof bag online that other people use to put their pot in. My house doesn't stink anymore. 
       
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Oh yeah, something I wanted to rant about, a billing dispute that cropped up 3 months ago.
      Surgery was in August of 2023. A bill shows up for over $7,000 in January. WTF? I asks myself. I know that I jumped through all of the insurance hoops and verified this and triple checked that, as did the surgeon's office. All was set, and I paid all of the known costs before surgery.
      A looong story short, is that an assistant surgeon that was in the process of accepting money from my insurance company touched me while I was under anesthesia. That is what the bill was for. But hey, guess what? Some federal legislation was enacted last year to help patients out when they cannot consent to being touched by someone out of their insurance network. These types of bills fall under something called, "surprise billing," and you don't have to put up with it.
      https://www.cms.gov/nosurprises
      I had to make a lot of phone calls to both the surgeon's office and the insurance company and explain my rights and what the maximum out of pocket costs were that I could be liable for. Also had to remind them that it isn't my place to be taking care of all of this and that I was going to escalate things if they could not play nice with one another.
      Quick ending is that I don't have to pay that $7,000+. Advocate, advocate, advocate for yourself no matter how long it takes and learn more about this law if you are ever hit with a surprise bill.
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Some days I feel like an infiltrator... I'm participating in society as a "thin" person. They have no idea that I haven't always been one of them! 🤣
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    • ChunkCat

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      I haven't been able to advance my diet past purees. Everything I eat other than tofu makes me choke and feels like trying to swallow rocks. They warned me it would get worse before it gets better, so lets hope this is all normal. I have my follow up on Monday so we'll see. Living on shakes and soup again is not fun. I had enough of them the first time!! LOL 
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    • BeanitoDiego

      Still purging all of the larger clothing. This morning, a shirt that I ADORED wearing ended up on top. Hard to let it go, but it was also hard to let go of those habits that also no longer serve my highest good. Onward and upward!
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