Hey guys! This is my very first post:clap2: Ive been reading so many great posts and threads, and this is by far one of the best communities i have witnessed online, and ive been apart of alot. Some background about me. Im a 24 year old, male grad student pursuing a career in nursing or pharmacology. In highschool, i was very active, and part of many varisty teams. At my "peak" physical condition, i was a solid 215, playing varsity basketball, wrestling, track & field, etc. I stopped playing sports Senior year, and as college went on and passed, i now weigh in at 330. Ive went through alot of emotional change, and even think my own personality has changed due to my weight. Im no longer comfortable being an outgoing person, because i feel it will draw attention to my weight. I can go on and on, but maybe thats another thread around here somewhere.

My question is, how long will it take for me to get approved for lap-band surgery? I left my job to go back to school full time, and at that job i had a PPO insurance plan. I just recently applied for Cobra coverage (paying out of my pocket to keep the coverage i had with my previous employer). I should receive all my documentation and such by next week. Lets say i do get it next week, how long does it take from Point A - getting approval from my personal physician, to Point B - Surgery? Is there alot of pre-op preperation? Sorry for the long post. And i hope to speak to you guys alot more!

It depends on your insurance. Some require you to jump through a lot of hoops, others do not. The first thing you need to do is call your insurance and verify that they cover the lap band procedure.

Ask them if CPT code 43770 is covered on your plan. If they say yes ask them where in your insurance book you can find information related to getting approved for this surgery. Or I am sure they can tell you where to find it on their web site.

Good luck and be sure to check out the insurance forum under main lap band forums.

Yeah, some insurance plans cover the surgery and some don't. If yours does, your lap band doctor's office can walk you through the requirements after they check your insurance too. They've been through it so much that it will be worth getting your initial consult soon so you'll know what your path will be.

yeah it all depends on Insurance. I fyou have Kaiser I fought with them for 8 months because they told me they don't cover the lap band so I finally switched to United healthcare and I was approved 2 days after 1 applied and surgery 1 month later...

It took me about 12 weeks start to finish.

I had my initial consultation with the surgeon on July 24th.. It took me about two weeks to wrap up all the appointments they wanted me to do with the nutritionist, psychologist, and primary care physician. My insurance approved me a few days after they received the pre-authorization request. I was scheduled to have surgery two weeks after that. So all together it was 3.5 weeks or so!

Wow awesome. I just got in contact with my provider (BC/BS) and it looks like theyre still awaiting all the documents from Cobra to reinstate my coverage. I asked them about the lapband coverage, and they said it was a "pre-approval surgery", meaning my doctor or surgeon had to approve it himself with the insurance company before i got it done. But it looks like ill be going through pre-op very soon, like in the next month or so. Im hoping to be banded by November!:clap2:

Awesome!! Goodluck with everything, hope it all runs smoothly!