:thumbup: after almost 8 months of waiting finaly got a call from kaiser to start my classes right from the start they acted like they were doing me a favor and made me feel like i was a 12 year old child. the doctors and the instructors are never on the same page i don't think they even talk. i have a problem with nicotine i was told i had to quit and did but from the first class the doctor would call me and tell me i had to drop out and wait 2-4 more months and start over. now 4 classes in they have made me drop out and i have to wait another 2 months and restart. i am so mad i can't even tell you. now i don't think i even want to get this done. has any one else had this problem if so what did you do to deal with it? thanks for letting me vent i guess im just depressed and ready to give up!

Sorry for your problems, but don't give up!! Even with the wait, it will be SO worth it once you finally have your band in place and are on your way to a more healthy future. There are MANY people here who have had various problems with their insurance companies. To find how other people have handled Kaiser, do a search for Kaiser and the threads should pop up. Also, check out the forum on insurance. You will see you are not in the boat by yourself when it comes to fighting the insurance company.

Good luck to you and hang in there!!

wllssctt - Which Kaiser are you going through? This is an important piece of information since the three in No. Cal are all different in how they run their programs. I have heard that most of them are different. Also, why are they making you drop out of class? This doesn't make any sense. Even if you were still smoking or using nicotine they should let you finish the class. I went through S. San Francisco and if you didn't do one of their requirements they would either not schedule the surgeon's visit or they wouldn't schedule surgery but they didn't stop the rest of it from happening. You can PM me if you want with more details. I'll try to find someone to help you. I have been in touch with several people who are in the process or have gotten their bands.

Vicki

i'm in colorado and here you have to go all over the metro area to get this done. classes are in lakewood doctors appt. are in englewood and mental health is down town denver surgery is down town too different place. as far as the classes go it's the same answer they give for everything it's the surgens they won't iet us do it.

wllssctt, Did you ever have your surgery? What was the process like? I just submitted my "application" for approval for surgery for the 2nd time. The first time I was told that it was not medically necessary, despite having a BMI of over 40. At that time, I did not have any co-morbid conditions. I do now. I have sleep apnea, tons of joint pain, and extreme fatigue. My PCP agrees that I should pursue this, however, he has not been extremely helpful in moving things along. Any advice?

Hello, I have Kaiser So.Cal. and they gave me the complete run around in regards to WLS. I attended the orientation and was told they were not doing the lap band procedure and that my only options were to do the 6 months options classes and see their surgeon about gastric bypass or go to Mexico for lap band which is what I did. It was kinda nice because I didn't have to jump through hoops but I also then wasn't allowed to attend the options classes so I had to seek my own education which turned out just fine. The only downfall to what I did was it cost me $7,000 out of pocket. Kaiser is doing my follow-up care and everything is going well. I did find out after paying for my surgery that I was given erroneous information at the orientation and I could have indeed had lap band done through Kaiser. Stick with the Kaiser run around if you can't afford to self pay because you will be so glad you once you have the surgery. I have lost 57 pounds in just over 3 months and for the first time in my life I feel like I am in control of my weight.

Good luck to you.