Hello all,

I'm new to this site and have about another 4 months before I can submit the paper work to my insurance company for approval. I have highmark blue cross blue shield federal and I was wondering if anyone else has that insurance and what their experience was like getting approved. Also do they want to see you losing weight over the six month period or just want to see that you have seen your pcp for at least 6 months. The whole reason I'm having weight loss surgery is because I've had trouble trying to loose weight my entire life. So really I just wanna know if approval will be based on me losing weight over the 6 months. My surgeons coordinator really didn't say we had to loose any weight in the six months. I'm also not sure if I should be journaling what I eat everyday for them to submit that also. I really don't want to wait six months and be denied because I was unable to loose a substantial amount of weight. Any feedback, no matter what insurance company you have would be appreciated. Thank you!

This is a good question. I worry if the insurance goes by amount of weight loss. Right now I have been losing a few pounds here and there but it never lasts long so I worry that I will not be able to lose the weight. If anyone has any ideas on a way to lose weight if that is necessary please post it. I am willing to try whatever it takes.

I spoke to my nurse advocate I was assigned by my insurance (I have united healthcare) about this diet that I am starting soon. I asked her if I would be denied if I lost weight or did not loose weight and she told me that they just want to make sure that I am able to follow a regimen and doctors orders before they pay. So, possibly the same purpose for your insurance.

Luckily I have no insurance requirements but I do have 3 month diet required by the surgeon. They told me the same thing. They just want me to be able to follow it and get in the right midset

I completed all my pre-op requirements and was ready to submit for insurance approval when my insurance changed, It changed to Health Republic, and when I was all ready to go and just waiting for approval I found out that they required 6 months of visits with my PCP. This was very discouraging to me since I was all ready to go. The patient coordinator at my surgeon's office told me that it was not necessary to lose weight during the six months, but that the insurance company just wanted to see that I could make a commitment by visiting my surgeon once a month for 6 months. I finally finished the PCP visits at the end of August and waited a month for insurance approval. I now have a surgery date of November 3rd. It was just short of a year from the time I started the whole process to the time I got my surgery date, but the wait was worth it. I am definitely ready for November 3rd to come and to start a new happy and healthier life.

I also had to do 6 months of nutrional visits for insurance company. I asked at first appointment will they require specific weight loss for approval and she said no. I actually just got approved and scheduled surgery today for November 24th. Yeah I'm so excited. I had a few bumps in the road a few months ago with last two appointments with sleep study and cardiologist. Thankfully I'm almost there now. Whole process has been very affective as well as necesary. Well worth the wait.

Gee vann and time4changeny congrats on ur surgery dates! I figured the six months would be a good thing to have to go through given all the things I need to get done...and 25 years of being overweight what's another six months lol! Thanks for the feedback though from people who just finished this process!

With my insurance (Aetna), I have a six month mandated weight loss program with monthly visits to my pcp.

I have Aetna and had to go through the 6 month nutritional visits. I finished in September and had an expected surgery date of October 14th. Everything was submitted to insurance. I got denied because I had gained 2 lbs...yes 2 lbs...back six months ago. But after that one of gain, I lost 22 lbs. I still was denied. So now I am having to go another two months so they can submit again. Please make sure they don't require weight loss. Please call your insurance company yourself to find out. Because my nutritionist told me not to worry about losing weight, that I needed to focus more on how to eat after surgery. I go for my, hopefully, last weigh in on the 13th. I wish you lots of luck.

Thanks you all for your feedback. Luckily my insurance company did not require me to lose any certain amount of weight. Also, I learned at my second weigh in that the bcbs federal only required a 3 month diet plan/visit, so the 2nd week in September my surgeon submitted all my paperwork and I was APPROVED a week later. Yayyyy!!! I'm so excited and so terrified at the same time. My surgery is October 15th and now that I'm less than 2 weeks away from my date I'm getting really nervous. How is everyone else doing with nervousness with the fast approaching surgery dates?!! Thanks again for all the great feedback!

On my 6 month I just could not gain 1 pound. Started 6 month Jan. 2014. Ended July 2014. But it keeps going because then I went to surgeon consult (July 2014) and could not gain even 1 pound until pre op appt. (Sept. 23rd). Now as long as I stick to pre op liquid diet ( have now for 12 days) no way to gain weight. (Have lost over 15). I have one more weigh in on the day of surgery. Surgery Oct. 7th.