does kaiser in so cal do the band as well. if not can we be referred to the northern california locations

Shelia - I'm in Northern California and believe it or not between the 3 hospitals up here that do the band there are 3 different policies. You would think that Kaiser would have one way of doing things but they don't. The first thing that you need to do up here is to get your primary care doctor to refer you. If you have a bariatric department down there, call them. The one at South San Francisco was really good about explaining the protocol there.

I don't know if they offer the band down there. I have heard that they are offering it in Long Beach. But they will be able to tell you. If they don't offer it, ask them when they plan on offering it. I would be a lot further along in the process if I had asked that question.

Good luck in your journey.

Thanks Vicki.

I am so eager and I have this fear that I will do something "wrong" and the insurance will deny me. I may have watched too much "Big Medicine"

THanks again,

Shelia

I know that they are pretty easy to get started with up here. Mainly if your BMI is over 40 you're in. Then you start the frustrating part of it and have to wait months to get your surgery. But it will get done. We have to be ok'd by the bariatric director, dietician, psychologist and surgeon. None of those are hard. They are really strict about wanting people who will follow the program. They said they have way too many people knocking at the door to give surgery to people who don't want to follow their guidelines.

Otherwise, it's not hard just frustratingly slow. Good luck.