Referral is in!

[pumpkiinry 2]

**sorry this one's a long one!!!!**

Hello everybody, I had an appt with my doctor a few days ago for follow up on my bloodwork and ultrasound on my gallbladder because she thought I might have needed to get my gallbladder removed. Turns out all my labs were perfect, no gallbladder problems but I did have a little bit of a higher cholestoral and I found out that I also have Fatty Liver [emoji45][emoji45] we discussed how it happens and how you treat it and basically... She said I have to lose weight. I finally brought up weight loss surgery to her. She wrote down everything she could to try to get me to get approved. She wrote down how long I've tried diets, what diets I've tried, morbid obesity (she said if she just out obesity it wouldn't get approved), body pains, asthma, etc and she put in a referral for surgery. Since I have medi-cal I guess the referral goes to a referall center then it goes to the bariatric surgeon or bariatric program or something like that and I'm supposed to hear a call back within two weeks. My doctor said the program is going to take 3-4 months and that I can't do it through her, I have to do it through the bariatric office I guess. Like my nutrition appointments and things like that can't be through my personal doctors office. Anyways, I am super excited and hoping I get good news soon! On a side note the bariatric office/surgeon that the people in my county get reffered to (I'm in the central Valley of CA btw) has horrible reviews and someone who went to him is dealing with horrible complications. I do not want that to be me... Is there anyway that I can go to a different county to get surgery but still have it covered by medi-cal? If that place is my only option then I will hold off on surgery until I move or until I can pay out of pocket I guess [emoji45]🤦🏻‍♀️ If anyone has any info that would be great, thanks so much.

[lvidacovich 372]

Congrats! This is a long journey and you're at the very beginning. This was how I started too, with a recommendation from my doctor.

No idea on medi-cal, sorry. You're best off calling them to see what you need to do to be covered anyways. And I'd fully expect it all to take closer to 6 months rather than the 3-4 they said.

Also your name is clearly visible at the bottom of the page on the left.

[catwoman7 10,881]

you'll have to ask your insurance company where you can have it. Some companies restrict you to surgeons in their network. I only had one choice, but luckily my clinic had four surgeons, so I could pick between the four.

I was allowed to do my six-month supervised diet anywhere, not just at my bariatric clinic. In fact, I could do it anywhere as long as it was within the last two years and was supervised by a doctor or a registered dietitian. It just had to be well-documented (I think my dietitian had to submit the notes from our meetings). But all insurance companies are different, so check with yours.

I did my six-month supervised diet before I was admitted to the bariatric program (I had to change insurances to one that covered bariatric surgery, and they said doing my supervised diet under my former company while I was waiting to change was fine as long as all my dietitian meetings were documented). So I spent six months doing that, and then once I got admitted to the bariatric program, I had to go through all the classes and clearances, which took about three months. So I could have had the surgery three months after being admitted since I already had the supervised diet out of the way (I waited longer, though, since I worked in education. I waited until the school year was over). But if Medi=Cal or your bariatric clinic wants you to do the diet through the bariatric clinic, it could take longer than three months 'til surgery time.