My cousin is on government assistance. She has Medicaid and it took her 2 months from her first visit to surgery date! This frustrated me because I battled my insurance company for a damn year! Insurance that I pay $200 a month for and have paid them for 10 years and rarely used! I am all about everyone being allowed to get healthy but why is it so hard for us to get approved and others get it, no questions asked, FOR FREE? Sorry, just venting. I've had my surgery and all is well. But I will not soon forget all of the ups and downs of going through my insurance.

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I think that it helps to re-frame the discussion, keeping in mind the obesity is a disease, not a moral failing.

People are at different stages of the disease. Some people won't be helped by surgery. They will still be eating crap a few weeks after and will find ways to eat around their surgery. It happens. While others will be successful.

Personally, (and I have no medical experience) I found the pre-op helpful but I think three months would have been just as helpful, rather than 6 months.

I jumped through all the hoops, was a good patient for six months and had the sleeve. Post-op, I've gone to my follow ups and had great support from my team.

I was one of those people who swore that I was just gen tic ally cursed and didn't have a food issue. I have two sister who are thin, but I have always been overweight. I maintained my same overweightness for 20 odd years. I fluctuated 15lbs a few times, but always stayed mostly the same. I didn't think wls would help but wanted to make the change badly. Of course, after surgery I see that I did in fact have some bad habits.

It's been 8 months or so. I'm down 100lbs. I've lost 80% of my excess weight and met my surgeon's goal. I'm still working toward my personal goal.

For me, surgery has been a life changer. For others, unfortunately, it may not be enough help. We are all at different stages but we're all battling the same disease.

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@@Stevehud

BCBS doesn't have a waiting period. And since I am self employed I picked a plan that worked for me, not a plan that an employer picked that worked for them.

BCBS from what state bcbs of tx for example is 6 months of prior documented treatment.

or at least was almost 2 years ago

BCBSIL

Also almost all insurance has changed, if you are super morbidly obese like I was, with a BMI of 60, there is no waiting period. Someone with that BMI is basically never going to lose weight on their own and insurance companies know it.

There was a cost benefit analysis in the insurance industry that showed the benefits of bariatric surgery to their bottom line.

Good to know. Her BMI is over 65. She is having surgery the 9th of this month and for the record, I couldn't be happy for her.

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