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I was approved for vsg surgery on the feb 25th. Then last week I was told that my surgery would be on the 29th because they missed the paper day deadline. Just listened to my voice mail and was told my insurance company wants a letter from my PC doctor that I'm healthy enough to have surgery. Then office assistant said that starting this year BCBS of GA is requiring a six month medically supervised diet. I'm so hurt! I've already started my pre op diet. I already got approved! Wtf! This sucks! I'm off to have a glass/bottle of wine.

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How frustrating! Don't they know how psyched up one has to be to start this process? Ugh!

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Call your insurance tomorrow yourself! I was given conflicting information but was able to have it clarified. If you have an approval you should be able to find out. You do need medical clearance but that is something your primary care physcian can write and fax to your surgeeon to send in to your insurance. You must advocate for yourself. I am going through this right now. I do not have a date yet, in the data gathering process and it is like pulling teeth. You would think the surgeon's office would coordinate the whole thing but that is not the case. I have scheduled tests I thought would benefit my case then hand carried the results to my surgeon. I call my other MD's and prod them to fax results to the surgeon repeatedly. I call AND email my surgeons Coordinator to see what she has and has not received. I have called my insurance company several times to clarify the guidelines. Have I ruffled a few feathers? Probably. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. I retired 3 years ago after being a RN Supervisor for 20+ years. These MD offices are busy -don't let them put you on the back burner. Sounds like they admitted missing a deadline. Organize this project yourself - you can do it!!

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When you say you were approved for surgery, does that mean that the surgeon approved you, or that you have a written authorization for the surgery? If you already have written authorization they can't ask for more info unless they rescind the authorization, also in writing.

I would definitely call your insurance company.

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    • KeeWee

      It's been 10 long years! Here is my VSG weight loss surgiversary update..
      https://www.ae1bmerchme.com/post/10-year-surgiversary-update-for-2024 
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    • Aunty Mamo

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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
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