I'm a person that always had to deal with being a big girl.i played sports all my life I tried eating salads for a whole year it didn't help.after high school I didn't have nothing to do so I started to get worse with my weight about 8 months ago I my job and started being more active again I lost some weight but I guess my body got use to it and now my weight goes up and down some.i got hired into my company and found out that my insurance would cover the lapband fully this is something I always wanted....so I guess what I'm getting to is how do I pick a doctor? How does this whole process start? How long does it usually take to get approved for a date? I need some guidance please

There are several factors which will determine how things will go.

One is how overweight you are. Commonly insurance will cover the band with a bmi of 40+ or 35+ with other comorbitites(hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetes etc).

Another is if you have documented that you have tried other things to lose the weight. Some times they will want you to try an alternative like medically supervised weight loss before they approve you.

Some insurance companies are really quick others will make you jump through hoops for 3-6 months before they approve you.

A good way to start is by selecting a doctor, and then going to their seminar. Most doctors have a seminar they hold every month, and they are generally cheap or free. During it they will explain the different procedures(sleeve, lapband, and bypass) and the pros and cons of each. After that you call the doctors office and they tell you what you need to do to have your insurance cover it.

As far as selecting a doctor, look for a doctor that specializes in weight loss surgery and has lots of experience.

Edited May 20, 201511 yr by DavidK

Thank u Davidk