I finished my last step so the surgeon's office could submit for approval. So I called to check that everyone else had sent their stuff in to her - just to be sure there was nothing left to do on my part. She (surgery coordinator) said she didn't have the five year weight history from my PCP still.

I called to ask them to send it please. Nurse tells me they only have records going back to 2013. I have been going to this practice since 2000. I told her that. She then tried to tell me it was because I hadn't seen THAT dr continuously. I again said no go - I've been her patient for over 7 years. And besides that, my chart is my chart. The information should still be there. Come to find out they had gone electronic but only paid to have the last two years records scanned in. She didn't want to have to pull my chart so she only submitted what they had! What the heck?

I was very calm but made it clear that I expect her to not only pull it but get it submitted by the first part of this week. Lord save me from lazy people.

I'm glad that I called to check. I will check again Wednesday. I just want to get it approved and on the schedule.

Argh. Good for you for being on top of it all.

How absolutely frustrating! I would make sure your PCP is aware that this has happened in their office. If your insurance denies you because of it, they are going to have a lot more work to do to appeal.

Unbelievable!

This kind of thing is so typical and frustrating. I had my psych eval 2 weeks ago today. After he kept me waiting 45 min past my appt time (and his previous patient had checked out already according to the receptionist) he was annoyingly condescending but did end the appt with reading back his notes and promising that it would be faxed over to the surgeon's office that day. Five days later the receptionist calls to say that they forgot to have me sign some papers and could I come back to do that. Never mentioned it was the release to fax over the eval, and I could not get there that day (friday) but got over there on Tues and signed it. On Thurs I called the WLS to be sure it was there - nope, they didn't have it yet. She promised she would call and make sure it was sent and then submit, but I"m calling back today just to be positive. This could have been submitted 2 weeks ago and I might already have a surgery appt. I'm not anxious just to get it done, but I have a very small window of possible surgery dates in June, and if I can't get one I have to wait until August, due to work commitments.

This kind of thing is so typical and frustrating. I had my psych eval 2 weeks ago today. After he kept me waiting 45 min past my appt time (and his previous patient had checked out already according to the receptionist) he was annoyingly condescending but did end the appt with reading back his notes and promising that it would be faxed over to the surgeon's office that day. Five days later the receptionist calls to say that they forgot to have me sign some papers and could I come back to do that. Never mentioned it was the release to fax over the eval, and I could not get there that day (friday) but got over there on Tues and signed it. On Thurs I called the WLS to be sure it was there - nope, they didn't have it yet. She promised she would call and make sure it was sent and then submit, but I"m calling back today just to be positive. This could have been submitted 2 weeks ago and I might already have a surgery appt. I'm not anxious just to get it done, but I have a very small window of possible surgery dates in June, and if I can't get one I have to wait until August, due to work commitments.

I can't like that but I'm in the same boat with scheduling. Between our vacation in June with my BFF (who I am not planning to tell I'm having the surgery just because she will judge me) and my kids camps etc, I won't have an open window of time til the first of August. But my surgeon's office schedules 8-10 weeks out from approval so if I want it that first part of August (ideal for me) then it needs to be approved by the end of May at the latest.

I will tell my PCP about the records thing. She is a great dr but her staff stinks. Seems it is either a great staff and an ok doctor or a great dr and crappy staff.

Yep, the WLS office just called me back and said they finally got the psych eval yesterday. So it is hopefully being submitted today. Nothing else I can do but wait. And my boss just emailed me and asked if I have a date yet in June b/c they are working on the schedule. She thinks I'm just having some scar tissue removed from my previous gallbladder surgery so probably wonders why it is taking so long for insurance to approve it. I really don't want to advertise this around my (small) office.

Edited May 13, 201511 yr by drmeow

Yep, the WLS office just called me back and said they finally got the psych eval yesterday. So it is hopefully being submitted today. Nothing else I can do but wait. And my boss just emailed me and asked if I have a date yet in June b/c they are working on the schedule. She thinks I'm just having some scar tissue removed from my previous gallbladder surgery so probably wonders why it is taking so long for insurance to approve it. I really don't want to advertise this around my (small) office.

I hope they submit yours today! My doctor's office is being painful. I called about a script refill yesterday and just thought I'd ask where they were at on the five year weight thing. She lied to me again! Told me they were allowed up to 30 days to get information from my chats then told me they are required to have five years of chart scanned in before admitting that they don't actually have but two scanned.

I asked for the office manager, got told they don't have a records girl and that they are not equipped to copy years of my chart. I told her I don't need years - I just need five freaking numbers! And I told her they have had three weeks already because I dropped the form off on April 20th. I left it with I will be calling back next Tuesday and expect that it will be submitted before then.

Next up is my gf who is a NP having her bf who is a lawyer calling asking why they are holding my records hostage. Seriously, the form is very clear and very simple but they only submitted it partially filled out because they are too lazy to pull the paper chart!

I am their worst nightmare because I write down every date, who I speak with, what the result was, and what I have asked them to do. And I'm not one to blindly follow just because they tell me to...

And they don't even have to copy it - just fill out the form and fax it on to the surgeon'a office.

this is the reason i am glad my insurance doesnt require a 5 year weight history because my drs office is freaking incompatent i called to get the pcp code for bariatric surgery something i needed for my insurance through the state and it took them a week to get it to me

this is the reason i am glad my insurance doesnt require a 5 year weight history because my drs office is freaking incompatent i called to get the pcp code for bariatric surgery something i needed for my insurance through the state and it took them a week to get it to me

I'm sorry. The good news is my surgery and all the paperwork trained them for the next one. Because immediately after I had all my things straight they ended up walking another patient thru it too.