Hi,

I am new here and just wondering what the time frame was for everyone from when they had the first consultation with the Dr to the time that they had surgery?

I have met my deductible for the year with my insurance but not my out of pocket maximum, so I will still need to come up with about $4K. I have my first consultation on 9/8. I don't really want to take out a loan to come up with the out of pocket and I could have the money in cash around January. Am I going to my consultation too early?

1st appt with surgeon was Feb 9, 2016, surgery was June 16, 2016. Good luck!

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Four months May 31st first appt with surgeon being sleeved on the sixth of September.

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Had a 7 week wait til first avail surgeon appt at the program I wanted. First surgeon appt July 14, RNY on August 18.

My insurance only required BMI over 40 and psych eval, but my surgeon/program had me extremely busy for a month with many many tests, psych eval, barium swallow, endoscopy, nutrition and pre-op classes. It was a part-time job for a month, honestly! But they were working to get me in BC if I couldn't be healed and back at work by Sept 15, I would need to wait til April. And I asked them to pls see if we could make it work. And it all worked out.

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4 weeks from doing my research on the surgery and laying on the operating table

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I did 6 months of the supervised diet, about a month of wrapping up lose ends for insurance requirements, and then another month for insurance approval and scheduling

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Hi. I did the seminar 1/21, had my first visit with the surgeon 2/18 and had surgery on 8/22.

6 month diet requirement but my surgeon was willing to schedule my surgery pending approval to try to get me in before the end of summer. So my last weigh in was 8/9 then I called daily and begged for approval - approved on the 18th AFTER all the pre surgical testing and everything lol

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I went to my first educational group meeting in January and getting surgery 9/13. You can delay it as long as you want. I was a smoker and my surgeon wanted a consult before first appointment, and I put it off until I quit. Then I was told about a $400 fee for pysch eval. (Not covered by insurance) so I had to put that appt. off for a bit. It all depends on insurance, then going through clearances - I had PCP recommendation appointment, 3 cardiologist appt., 2 sleep studies, 2 pulmonary appointments, pysch evaluation which led to 3 different appointments (psychiatrist, therapist, and addiction support group). Oh, and attending one of their monthly bariatric support meetings. I'm tired ... Lol. But I made it! I have Medicare so I was approved right away without any prerequisites. All of the clearances were for my surgeon

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4 weeks from doing my research on the surgery and laying on the operating table

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Dang that's super quick!

Getting sleeved 9/26/16

Sw:325

Current:308

Goal:170

I had my consultation yesterday 9/8/16. I will start my 90 day supervised diet next week on 9/14. I will have to pay about $3500 out of pocket. My plan is to use my HSA for most of it so I prefer to wait until after the new year to schedule the actual surgery. I am excited! Do you have a flexible spending account or HSA you can use. They usually give you access to the funds at the beginning of the year and you contribute each pay period. I don't know if this is an option but I am hoping so!

It was less than 6 weeks between my first consultation and my surgery date. I had zero out of pocket cost and did not have to do a supervised diet. I was gung-ho and wanted to get it done before the kids went back to school. I think my timeline is not the norm though.

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I do have an HSA and my employer will put $800 in that around the middle of January. That is the reason I wanted to wait until then. I went to my consultation yesterday and found out I have a large hiatal hernia. The dr said that they have to fix those all the time so he is not concerned about that, but he also said that since I need surgery for that most times the insurance will waive the 6 month supervised diet. I did all my lab work and attended the required class yesterday. I still need to do the psych evaluation but it looks like this may be a lot quicker than I expected. Of course if they are just submitting as a hiatal hernia surgery in not sure why I need the psych evaluation anyway.

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I'm self pay in the USA. My first appt was August 11th and I'm going in for my surgical consultation next week. She thinks we're looking at early October so it will a little less than 2 months if that date works out.

I started my insurance requirements 9/6/15. Surgical consult 2/16.

Surgery 7/27/16.

My Surgeons office said most people there (a center of excellence) took about a year from start to surgery day.

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My physical with my PCP (resulting in a referral to the bariatric surgeon from her) was on February 3. My first appointment with the surgeon was March 3. My sixth (and final) diet appointment was August 10, and my surgery is scheduled for September 28.