I'm borderline on my BMI ( it's 39.5)My insurance (NHP) covers the surgery if your BMI is less than 40 but with a comorbidity. I'm going to do a home sleep study to see if I have sleep Apnea. I'm just a few pounds shy of a 40 BMI, if I'm able to reach the necessary weight to up my BMI, will the surgeon submit that number to the insurance company or the lower one? Im not sleeping until I hear of an approval from my ins company.

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It depends on your surgeon. Some use your weight at your first visit/consultation. Others use your weight when submitted for approval. For my insurance company, approval only takes 24-72 hours from submittal. But they need to have all the ducks in a row -- blood work, cardiac and pulmonary clearances, results from barium swallow/endoscopy (if necessary), sleep study (if necessary). My surgeon uses the weight I walked in the door at for my first consult/visit, but my plan does not require supervised weight loss for a set period of time. Other plans require 6 months of supervised weight loss and some require a loss of a certain percentage to prove you are committed to the program and lifestyle changes.

I also thinks it depends on your surgeon, my surgeon used my "high" weight as well, because with all the dieting my BMI was a 39.2

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@Amyd103- what insurance do you have? Luckily, does not require the 6 month supervised weight plan. What happens when your BMI is borderline already and then I lose weight for the pre op...? I'm a nervous wreck until I know I have approval. I'm sure I'm not alone

I have cigna, they do not require the 6 month supervised either, I believe my surgeon said they use the weight from your initial weigh in at your first apt, I have been doing a one month supervised diet and am down below 40 bmi and my surgeon said not to worry

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