Hello,

I'm new here and just finished my 6 month weigh ins with my pcp. All preop test are complete and just waiting on approval from my insurance. I hope everything goes well. ????

Welcome everyone, you are in for quite an adventure!

I go to my last appt on Monday and the dr will submit on Friday. Let us know how long Aetna takes to approve. I have them as well. SO EXCITED!

Make sure you call your insurance. I have UHC. submitted 11/4 approved 11/11. 5 business days. I called twice a day. That's how i found out on the 11th that it had been approved an hour before i called. Got my surgery date the same day. 12/14/15. You gotta stay on this. No one wants this for yourself more than you.

Congrats Amy! I'm going to give it one more day and then start calling. My paperwork was submitted on Tuesday

I am FINALLY having my surgery next Tuesday! (Yes, only one week away!) I've been on this journey for almost 9 months (started March 1st). The good thing is that I think I am physically (have lost 63 pounds pre-op) and mentally ready. This is a big deal and I want to embrace this. So happy to have each of you going on the journey with me.

Hello, this is my first day on here. It is very cool to find a social network for bariatric surgery patients. I had my first appointment with my surgeon yesterday; it kinda made me excited and worried both at one time, but I'm definitely doing this. I will start with my blood test tomorrow and have a second visit by next week probably. I am scheduling for my surgery for Jan 2016 if all goes well till then. I am very much in need for a support group such as this because I'm really nervous for the surgery and still can't believe I made up my mind on it!

We are all in this together!

Good luck to you Marcia! Keep us posted

I am FINALLY having my surgery next Tuesday! (Yes, only one week away!) I've been on this journey for almost 9 months (started March 1st). The good thing is that I think I am physically (have lost 63 pounds pre-op) and mentally ready. This is a big deal and I want to embrace this. So happy to have each of you going on the journey with me.

I'm so excited for you!!!! ????????????

Hi Renee! Congrats!

We're your appointments just weigh ins or did your surgeon require more?

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone here has healthfirst and if you had to do the 6 month requirement?

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone here has healthfirst and if you had to do the 6 month requirement?

I have health first and I was required to do the 6 month supervised diet.

Im confused about that because when i called healthfirst, I spoke to authorizations department and they said there wasnt a 6 month requirement that all they need is proof that it is a medical necessity but the hospital said that the insurance company requires it. Did you get that from the insurance or the hospital that you did the surgery at? If you don't mind me asking where are you doing your surgery?

I've also seen posts on here where it wasn't required for some.

Im confused about that because when i called healthfirst, I spoke to authorizations department and they said there wasnt a 6 month requirement that all they need is proof that it is a medical necessity but the hospital said that the insurance company requires it. Did you get that from the insurance or the hospital that you did the surgery at? If you don't mind me asking where are you doing your surgery?

I've also seen posts on here where it wasn't required for some.

I was told by my hospital that the 6 months was a requirement. I don't know exactly if it was a requirement for my insurance but just like me they required proof of medical necessity, so there is a possibility they want you to do the six months for better chances of being approved. I actually heard of one patient who had a BMI of 35 and undiagnosed co-morbidities of arthritis and high cholesterol and finally decided to get medication for it but since there was no wait requirement her paper was submitted immediately and she was denied due to no medical history of treatment/illness.

PS- My hospital is The Center For Metabolic And Weight Loss Surgery (New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center)