Got the call today that I was approved for gastric bypass. It’s taken eight months to get to this point, insurance took 13 calendar days to approve and it must be done by 12/31 or I go back through the approval process. Kind of freakin out that right now. They want to schedule for mid November so I have a short window. Was starting to think of doing it after the holidays so there was as little disruption as possible during that time but now pressure is on. One thing is for sure BMI of 47 does not work for me. How hard is the first couple of months and first year? How long were you out for work?

Congratulations! I'm hoping after my meeting with the surgeon on 12/4 I will be scheduled for surgery before the end of the year. It's best to have everything completed within the same calendar year when dealing with out of pocket expenses like deductibles, etc. I hope everything goes smooth for you.

1 hour ago, GettinSkinnywithit said:

Got the call today that I was approved for gastric bypass. It’s taken eight months to get to this point, insurance took 13 calendar days to approve and it must be done by 12/31 or I go back through the approval process. Kind of freakin out that right now. They want to schedule for mid November so I have a short window. Was starting to think of doing it after the holidays so there was as little disruption as possible during that time but now pressure is on. One thing is for sure BMI of 47 does not work for me. How hard is the first couple of months and first year? How long were you out for work?

From approval to surgery for me was like... 3 weeks.

Congrats on the approval! Who said you'd have to start the approval process over?

1 hour ago, Matt Z said:

Congrats on the approval! Who said you'd have to start the approval process over?

Thank you. My insurance apparently said the approval is only good until 12/31 and after that I would have to get re-approved, meaning going through the entire process again, six NUT visits, ekg, etc., etc, but I have not talked to insurance to confirm.

2 hours ago, Ed_NW said:

Congratulations! I'm hoping after my meeting with the surgeon on 12/4 I will be scheduled for surgery before the end of the year. It's best to have everything completed within the same calendar year when dealing with out of pocket expenses like deductibles, etc. I hope everything goes smooth for you.

Thank you. I am maxed out this year on my deductible anyways, but my insurance is actually covering this at 100%. Good luck to you as well!

Don’t wait! You’ll regret it

6 hours ago, GettinSkinnywithit said:

Thank you. I am maxed out this year on my deductible anyways, but my insurance is actually covering this at 100%. Good luck to you as well!

Oh, that's awesome.

6 hours ago, GettinSkinnywithit said:

Thank you. My insurance apparently said the approval is only good until 12/31 and after that I would have to get re-approved, meaning going through the entire process again, six NUT visits, ekg, etc., etc, but I have not talked to insurance to confirm.

My original authorization was only for 14 days but it was about a month before surgery. My doctor's office didn't have any issues getting the date adjusted. Wouldn't hurt to call your carrier to confirm. Just make sure you get the name of the person you speak with and even ask for a reference number.

Good luck!

13 hours ago, GettinSkinnywithit said:

Thank you. My insurance apparently said the approval is only good until 12/31 and after that I would have to get re-approved, meaning going through the entire process again, six NUT visits, ekg, etc., etc, but I have not talked to insurance to confirm.

I understand what starting over means, but I've never heard an insurance approve and then say that approval is only for that calendar year, typically the approval is good for a range of time from the date of approval, not capped at a calendar year. Personally, I'd reach out to your insurance company yourself and speak with them directly about it. Just so you have the information "directly from the horses mouth".

Congratulations on being approved!!! I was out of my office job for about a week, but I also own a pet sitting business and I went back to that three days after surgery. I think my biggest advice would be to follow exactly what your surgeon says and that will give you the least chance for complications. I didn't take any of the pain meds, so really after the gas went down after a day or two I didn't even feel like I had a surgery at all. Good luck to you!

That’s good to hear Harsha!

To update, I received my pre-approval letter yesterday from insurance and it does state it’s approved until 12/31/18. After that I simply have to reapply. The ins rep stated this was because my insurance ends on the calendar year and deductibles reset. The weird thing is that my plan runs July - June so there would be zero change in benefits. Maybe they are worried about my company changing to another carrier 1/1? Not sure. Looks like the only difference to waiting is that my deductible would reset - I’m maxed out now after all the tests.

Still trying to decide on if and when. Still on the fence. Trying to buy a house soon and not sure about surgery then moving.

Get it done. The longer you take the less you will get it done.

Thanks TheMarine79. I called today to inquire about available dates so getting closer to commitment.

Well I scheduled today for November 13. That will give me the rest of that week and thanksgiving week to recover. I’m planning on working from home some during that time since I’m a desk jockey.

Way to go. I have been getting nervous myself and I have yet to have my first dietician appointment. That is coming Tuesday. Then I wait till the day before thanksgiving for psych appointment