I am very new to this app. However I am in the 6 month waiting period before I am schedule to have surgery. I have a lot of questions.

1) how long will it take insurance to actually approve my claim

2) how long will it take surgery to be scheduled once I am approved?

3) I have to do a 2 week liquid diet pre-Op how successful was anyone with that?

My surgery took about a month and everything was approved and they gave me my surgery and pre-op appt right away, my insurance is Aetna better health, and I'm in Chicago will be going to Loyola, Maywood for my surgery. My pre-op appt is on June 8th, my surgery date is June 21st, I only have to do one week of liquid diet, everything depends on your doctors and insurance and I will try to keep you posted.

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I think the answers to each of those questions varies depending on your insurance and what kind of Bariatric coverage they offer if any. My insurance covers Bariatric surgery so I had to do a 6 month weight loss program. Then they submitted and authorization to my insurance to have a consultation with the surgeon. Once I met with the surgeon and we chose which surgery I would have I then got a list of required medical testing I had to complete plus a class that was required by my insurance. Once all of that was finished I had to submit another claim to get the actual surgery authorized which it was. I started this process last August and I am scheduled for surgery June 13. It could have been sooner, around April, but I pushed it back. As far as a pre op diet goes, most surgeons do require a 2 week pre op diet but they aren't always 2 weeks of liquids only. Mine is 2 weeks of liquids for breakfast and lunch and dinner is a sensible meal. And then the 48 hours prior to surgery are liquids only. Like I said, most experiences will vary but that's mine and I hope it helped you a bit!

The six months of diet assessment and nutrition classes are very important and necessary to learn everything you need to know on what you should know how to eat before and after your surgery. It took six months to learn it all. The only thing I have a problem with is the diet soda, no sugar, but too much diet sugar makes you crave other junk foods that you don't need to crave.

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These things will all vary based on your insurance coverage and your surgeon.

After my six months of nutrition appointments were signed off on on a Friday afternoon, my paperwork was submitted to my insurance that day, and I was approved by the following Thursday. I met with my surgeon the following Thursday afternoon and went in for surgery the following Wednesday. This last bit wasn't necessarily typical, it just happened there was an opening and because I'm otherwise in very good health (non-drinker, never smoked, no diabetes, etc.) I only needed to do a 2-day stint of full liquids.

The earlier you make contact with your insurance provider, the better. Review their policies, talk to the representatives, talk with the patient reps at your surgeon's office, the smoother it all goes. My insurance company suggested that a letter from my primary care doctor detailing my (documented, medically based) struggles with my weight and weight loss might help. My doctor was happy to provide it to the company, and it was a better process for me.

for me it was 2 weeks for approval, 2 mos to sx date and diet is much easier than I anticipated.

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