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I guess I'll just wait and see. I've had sooooo many conflicting answers between insurance, coordinator and friends. If it happens, it happens




I know this reply is late but...I would download the Anthem App. I experienced lot of back and forth too. But once I got the app and put in my info in EVERYTHING was spelled out in black n white. It tracks how much has been applied to your deductible, max out-of-pocket, all the surgerys they cover at which hospitals etc. I had to do a 6 mo pre op weight checks btw. But I've heard of ppl getting credit for weight checks-supervised diets done previously.

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I went for my first appointment about a week ago. Had the majority of the testing required for insurance. When I met with the patient coordinator she told my my insurance required 4 months of nutrition and exercise counseling. I thought it was 6 months (I have Anthem BCBS). Does anyone else have Anthem? What have you been told?


I have BCBS IOWA I have to do 6 months supervised diet and can not have a gain.


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This is the Bariatric Surgery Policy for Anthem: https://www.anthem.com/medicalpolicies/policies/mp_pw_a053317.htm

My understanding is that different plans and states can have variations of this. For my plan (Anthem BCBC or California PPO) when I called Anthem to ask about the policy they directed me to look at that page. If you call your insurance and they don't give you a straight answer ask them if medical policy SURG.00024 is the policy that your plan uses or if there is a different one. Each plan should have a very clearly defined medical policy for coverage of any surgery included in that plan.

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I have Blue Cross Blue Shield as well. When I started this process in February I called Blue Cross Blue Shield to check on the requirements. They sent me a list of all of the criteria that I needed to have completed. I suggest calling Blue Cross Blue Shield and they will be able to give you the information and send you out a paper that gives you all of the criteria.



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I have to do 6 months. I have BCBS of Iowa


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I called BCBS, asked for requirements. They told me ask my hospital and WLS team. My team dropped the ball, failed to tell me I had to do 6 months supervised weight and education. I was supposed to have surgery in October. Now my date is Dec. 14th. Still waiting for insurance approval.


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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
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