Supervised Diet Classes

Hi, I have made a couple posts on this site, but am fairly new to it. I have gone to the first seminar and I am waiting for my insurance to approve me. The hospital where I hope to have my surgery has been doing bariatrics for several years and know what insurance companies expect, so the included a required 6 month supervised diet which include classes, books, a pedometer, nutirionits, and pysch evaluations. They require this class or some form done by your PCP. However, they want you to pay $400 for this class. And if you do it with your pcp they still make you pay the fee because in order to get the paperwork for your PCP you have to go to the first class.

Anyway, did anyone else have to do this and did they make you pay money for something they require. I also heard that some insurance companies don't pay for the psych consult as well as the nutrionist. So, maybe this class with those things worked into it is the best way to go?

Any opinions or comments or advice would be greatly appreciated?

Thanks,

Bridget