Hi!

Interested in moving forward with the gastric sleeve. I reached out to a surgeon and they want my insurance info to move forward. I really am looking to have this surgery done between Sept - Nov.

How fast does this process usually take before scheduling surgery? I don't want to reach out too soon, but I also don't want to wait last minute.

How far ahead can you schedule vs how soon?

Thanks!

Insurance usually has their own set of requirements. Usually 3-6 months of medically supervised weight loss. Then its up to your surgeon on when to fit you into their schedule. Once I completed my supervised weight loss and was submitted to insurance I still had to wait 2 months to get on the schedule.

My surgeon wouldn't schedule me until after my insurance approved it. It took 3 weeks once insurance approval was sought, but it took several months before my surgeon's office gathered paperwork, I got physician clearances and testing, etc. Then by the time I got insurance approval it was 6 weeks out on my surgeon's calendar to get scheduled.

Your insurance will probably require a series of doctor's visits and tests, and maybe a certain amount of weight loss before they will approve the procedure. The length of time depends on the insurance provider. Mine required six months, but some only require three. After that your doctor's office will have to send all your records to the insurance company for approval, and that can take several weeks in and of itself. Once the doctor's office gets the approval, it can then take several more weeks to fit an appointment time for you into the surgeon's schedule.

I would start by asking your insurance company how long of a pre-op process they require before approval. If it's three months, you could conceivably get it done by the point you are hoping to. If it's six, you may end up looking at a surgery date sometime in December instead.

Asking for insurance ahead of time is to make sure that they are following your insurance company guidelines. Each insurance company varies on what is covered and their requirements.

Mine in total took almost 8 months. It went by fast.

Good luck!