Was wondering if anyone has been denied from insurance because of depression or any other mental illness??

I really need to follow this thread because my Husband needs this and has a mental illness logged.

He really needs this surgery.

I am an artist and I do have a friend, she is also an artist and she is Bi-Polar and very outspoken about it. She was approved for an RNY and got hers last month. I don't know what insurance she has, she lives in Virginia.

Edited February 4, 201610 yr by Amelie2016

I'm waiting for approval from my insurance and am nervous because I have suffered from depression and bi polar disorder for years and I have heard of people getting denied surgery because of that.

I am still going through the motions. I have a psych evaluation on Feb 18. I do see a psychiatrist and a therapist. I have anxiety and depression (but they are under control with meds). Both said this would not deter me from having the surgery. I do have to get through the psych eval. but from what I have heard, it's mostly them making sure your prepared for the outcome, and not going to commit suicide. I will repost after my psych eval to see what happens.

I am still going through the motions. I have a psych evaluation on Feb 18. I do see a psychiatrist and a therapist. I have anxiety and depression (but they are under control with meds). Both said this would not deter me from having the surgery. I do have to get through the psych eval. but from what I have heard, it's mostly them making sure your prepared for the outcome, and not going to commit suicide. I will repost after my psych eval to see what happens.

Agreed. I also suffer from depression and anxiety. I already had my psych evaluation. The psychiatrist was concerned because studies have shown that people who've had WLS attempt self harm. I deal with my mental illness through medication and meditation.

Ava32, did he still release you to get the surgery? If you don't mind me asking, what things do they talk about in the eval?

Ava32, did he still release you to get the surgery? If you don't mind me asking, what things do they talk about in the eval?

She came off really judgmental in my opinion. In my initial application I shared that I have 3-5 drinks a week and that I was a victim of sexual abuse. I straight out asked if she had the power to deny or approve my surgery and she told me that she doesn't. She said she shares her notes with my surgeon and it all depends on my surgeon. She did suggest that I go to therapy.

I am sorry to hear that. It seems like the mental health profession could stand to get better employees for a lot of them. I hope your surgeon lets you get the surgery. Where are you at as far as getting it scheduled?

Ava32, did he still release you to get the surgery? If you don't mind me asking, what things do they talk about in the eval?

She came off really judgmental in my opinion. In my initial application I shared that I have 3-5 drinks a week and that I was a victim of sexual abuse. I straight out asked if she had the power to deny or approve my surgery and she told me that she doesn't. She said she shares her notes with my surgeon and it all depends on my surgeon. She did suggest that I go to therapy.

I have problems with depression and social anxiety. I was nervous when I took my psych eval. I am glad I was totally honest. The psychologist who administered the test appreciated my openness and I passed. Don't worry too much about your psych eval. You will do fine.

I was dealing with some horrible things literally the night before my psych eval (and several months worth before then). I just didn't share. And was approved. The psych eval can and will cause a denial if it is determined you are unable to go through the process.

I am sorry to hear that. It seems like the mental health profession could stand to get better employees for a lot of them. I hope your surgeon lets you get the surgery. Where are you at as far as getting it scheduled?

Ava32, did he still release you to get the surgery? If you don't mind me asking, what things do they talk about in the eval?

She came off really judgmental in my opinion. In my initial application I shared that I have 3-5 drinks a week and that I was a victim of sexual abuse. I straight out asked if she had the power to deny or approve my surgery and she told me that she doesn't. She said she shares her notes with my surgeon and it all depends on my surgeon. She did suggest that I go to therapy.

Yeah. She basically implied that I was an alcoholic. I wish I wasn't so candid in my initial application if I'd knew they would throw everything back in my face. And told me I need to go to see a therapist. I explained to her that I'm a full time student who can barely afford the visits for getting cleared for surgery, let alone a psychiatrist.

Because of my mom's insurance I have to do a mandatory six month supervised weight loss. I'm currently on my second month.

Hang in there, the months should fly by pretty fast. You might see if they have any programs for doing like a sliding scale type of payment program so you could go? Or if your mom's work has like an EAP thing so you can see someone for free? My surgeon says they offer free support groups for before and after, so that may be sufficient too, does yours?

I've been recovering from trauma for a long time and have been seeing a therapist weekly for years. I thought that this would work in my favor, as despite my personal challenges, I have worked through an enormous amount of emotional material, and I am more sane than almost everybody I've ever met.

Despite all this, it was held against me that I had a need for long-term therapy, and that I did not openly discuss all of my most painful personal problems with the Bariatrics therapist who I met once for one hour. Her communication was violent and aggressive, but she had a smile on her face the entire time. It was coercive, violating, and triggering.

Before approving my application for bariatric surgery, she insisted on getting A written statement from my psychotherapist, and speaking to him on the phone. He was supportive of my decision, and ultimately she submitted my application for approval, but in my opinion a person like her has no business working with people that have been hurt. I felt like I was trapped in a room with a sociopath.

My sister also have the surgery done, and she lives in another state. Her experience was completely different. The therapist that she had to see was kind and supportive and did not probe deeply into her past. I guess it's the luck of the draw.

My advice, is to stay in your personal power. People who have the guts to confront their personal anguish in therapy or in any other form of self healing are stronger, not weaker. There are few legitimate causes that should prevent somebody from getting surgery, unless their emotional issues produce very extreme and completely out of control behaviors, like a compulsion to eat an entire pizza that can't be stopped by the threat of their stomach ripping open. Anything much less than that, and weight-loss surgery can only help.

People with depression, grief, people who are having difficulty engaging with life, can benefit dramatically from the surgery. It empowers us to take a residence in our homes, our bodies. It increases confidence, And gives us a chance to embrace a life that we could not have due to excessive weight holding us back. Our mental health improves with a better nutritional diet, and our body image improves as we release the weight.

I have never suffered from depression but I have had anxiety issues since high school (11 years ago). I have been medicated for anxiety as well as seen by a therapist regularly for a period of 1 1/2 years. None of these things were held against me in the approval process. I should also note that I was not required to have a psychological analysis pre-op. My anxiety issues were all well documented in the 3 years of medical records I had to provide so I'm sure the insurance company noticed.

I've been recovering from trauma for a long time and have been seeing a therapist weekly for years. I thought that this would work in my favor, as despite my personal challenges, I have worked through an enormous amount of emotional material, and I am more sane than almost everybody I've ever met.

Despite all this, it was held against me that I had a need for long-term therapy, and that I did not openly discuss all of my most painful personal problems with the Bariatrics therapist who I met once for one hour. Her communication was violent and aggressive, but she had a smile on her face the entire time. It was coercive, violating, and triggering.

Before approving my application for bariatric surgery, she insisted on getting A written statement from my psychotherapist, and speaking to him on the phone. He was supportive of my decision, and ultimately she submitted my application for approval, but in my opinion a person like her has no business working with people that have been hurt. I felt like I was trapped in a room with a sociopath.

My sister also have the surgery done, and she lives in another state. Her experience was completely different. The therapist that she had to see was kind and supportive and did not probe deeply into her past. I guess it's the luck of the draw.

My advice, is to stay in your personal power. People who have the guts to confront their personal anguish in therapy or in any other form of self healing are stronger, not weaker. There are few legitimate causes that should prevent somebody from getting surgery, unless their emotional issues produce very extreme and completely out of control behaviors, like a compulsion to eat an entire pizza that can't be stopped by the threat of their stomach ripping open. Anything much less than that, and weight-loss surgery can only help.

People with depression, grief, people who are having difficulty engaging with life, can benefit dramatically from the surgery. It empowers us to take a residence in our homes, our bodies. It increases confidence, And gives us a chance to embrace a life that we could not have due to excessive weight holding us back. Our mental health improves with a better nutritional diet, and our body image improves as we release the weight.

OMG sounds EXACTLY like the psychiatrist from my evaluation!!! The whole time she kept probing for more information while nodding with this weird grin on her face. Does my pain get you off? If anything she should've had a neutral facial expression. When I would wipe my tears away I just saw her smiling. I do NOT want to see her again but I have another appointment with her in April.

Depression is 10 times higher in the obese population than in the general population. Having a mental illness does not prevent you from having WLS.

Being actively suicidal or psychotic or having a significant personality disorder or an active or recent eating disorder these are things that would slow your approval down while things are review and treatment is evaluated. It's not a pass/fail. It's getting the help to people who need it because the other side of surgery can really shake the foundation of your identity.