I am posting this here hoping that I can help someone else. I am self employed and live in Illinois. I purchased a plan on the healthcare exchange, BCBSIL PPO. When I selected a plan I purposely selected one that covered bariatric surgery.

Timeline

Informational Attendance 4/28

Appt with Surgeon 5/18

Appt with NUT and psychiatrist 6/8

Submitted to Insurance 6/10

Approved by insurance 6/22

Surgery Date 7/15

Surgery is covered 100% after meeting deductible, which was easy to meet doing the pre-op testing!

You don't have listed that you saw a nutritionist on you post from January. Did that happen afterward?

My BMI was high and I had 2 co-morbidities.

At 35 BMI they might make you do more but on my plan, they didn't have BMI qualifications the qualifications were really vague, even my Dr office said they were vague.

I also have BCBSIL PPO I sure hope mine goes that quick, They told me they do not require 6 month supervised weight loss. I hope that's right. Good Luck to all.

Great news. I have bcbsil through my employer and they were easy to work with. My doctor still had me do a 6month prep even though the insurance didn't require it. But that put my surgery in December. Since it was so late in the year my deductible and out of pocket max was meant (family plan.... I spent plenty of money on medical bills early in the year). Surgery and everything associated was covered 100% including the medicine they sent me home with. I was very please with the quality of my insurance.

Hello everyone

I've been MIA for a while. But today finally after 8 weeks of submitting my paperwork to the insurance company and being on the pre-op diet since last Monday: my surgery was approved Thursday! I'm scheduled for April 18th! So happy. Finally this is really happening! After going back and forth with my insurance company it's all good! It's like I still can't believe it!

Woohoo.

Edited April 10, 201610 yr by MrsRP

Hello everyone

I've been MIA for a while. But today finally after 8 weeks of submitting my paperwork to the insurance company and being on the pre-op diet since last Monday: my surgery was approved Thursday! I'm scheduled for April 18th! So happy. Finally this is really happening! After going back and forth with my insurance company it's all good! It's like I still can't believe it!

Woohoo.

Congratulations!!! Yayyyy!!!

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Hello everyone

I've been MIA for a while. But today finally after 8 weeks of submitting my paperwork to the insurance company and being on the pre-op diet since last Monday: my surgery was approved Thursday! I'm scheduled for April 18th! So happy. Finally this is really happening! After going back and forth with my insurance company it's all good! It's like I still can't believe it!

Woohoo.

Congratulations!!! Yayyyy!!!

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Thank you so much

That's exciting news!!

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Yay! So glad BCBSIL finally came around. Good luck with surgery! [emoji106]

Yay! So glad BCBSIL finally came around. Good luck with surgery! [emoji106]

thank you so much!!!

Is the process different if you have BCBSIL HMO or is it pretty much the same as long as you get a referral from the PCP?

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That's supposed to say BCBSIL H. M. O.

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@@mobella

No idea about HMO. I didn't get a referral, I just went to see the Surgeon. The place my Dr was going to send me to wasn't even a place I could go with BCBS. They were clueless about the whole thing so I just took control. I didn't want to waste a bunch of time.

@@mobella

No idea about ***. I didn't get a referral, I just went to see the Surgeon. The place my Dr was going to send me to wasn't even a place I could go with BCBS. They were clueless about the whole thing so I just took control. I didn't want to waste a bunch of time.

Thanks for your response. I'm going for a consultation tomorrow. Hopefully it is not a long process. I called BCBSIL and they told me that their only requirement is the BMI >40 or BMI >35 with co-morbidities.

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The process with them is really fast. The drs make you jump through more hoops to qualify than they will.

The process with them is really fast. The drs make you jump through more hoops to qualify than they will.

Right... Will be going to the Kane Center for a consultation to see what their requirements are. Wish me luck. Good luck on your journey!!!

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