How long was your time span between the seminar and the surgery?

1-1.5 months.

2 months and 3 weeks

My situation was a bit different. I went to the seminar with DH a year ago, and we persued his surg first. I'm using the same surgeon, so he's counting the one from last year. So far, it's taken 1 1/2 months to get everything all together. My"file is still out to insurance, Friday will be 2 weeks. We are basically waiting to see if I can have surg now, or if I'll have to wait 6 months (4 more). Grrr.....

myturn, why would you have to wait 6 months?

I'd have to finish out the 6 months of physician supervised dieting. My insurance requires it, but we've had a few "exceptions" go through. I've been on Weight Watchers for over a year, and the ins has approved several people who had detail information. I have over a year of food journals - EVERY DAY, weekly weigh-ins, etc... I actually have more stuff than the last lady that was approved.

Well, that sucks. Isn't it strange how even the same insurance company, but in different states, requires different things and takes longer/not as long. You'd think the same company would have the same requirements regardless of the state/county.

A bit different for me too. I went to first seminar in December 2006. Had appt. with doctor in June 07. Saw their psych. Got approved. Around $16K (Am self pay, ins. excludes WLS). Wasn't fascinated by their psych. Went to another seminar, more local in August. They wanted $18K!!! Tried to diet on my own. Called Dr. Curry early Feb. this year ($12.5K incl. 2 years fills, plus $400 initial fee), they said since I had already gone thru 2 seminars on the lapband I could skip and just have my first appt. 2/28...had intake appt. used psych from June 07, got all my clearances and diet class. Surgery was April 8th. Have lost around 23#. Would not have done it any differently. (Just wish I'd done it sooner).

What's kinda funny - I work for a hospital that does WLS, and our ins had an exclusion. The bariatric docs went to bat for the employee's and took it to the board at the ins co (FiserV). It's still not completely covered, but 6 months supervised diet and pays 50% is better than nothing. My out of pocket will be right at $5000, a little less than 1/2, but because I work for the hosp, my max surg cost with ins is $5000 a year.

A few days shy of three months!

3 months. I went to the seminar in December 2006, knowing that WLS would become a covered benefit in my insurace plan the next month. I started the pre op appointments in January and was approved by the beginning of March. HTH.

My insurance had an exclusion, so being that I was self-pay they let me rush right in. At the seminar, I said "I'm ready, let's do it!" and they scheduled me I think less than a month out.

About 3 months. It took me a while to make the Dr.s appt. Nerves. But as soon as i saw the Dr. two weeks later I had a surgery date. Self-pay.

I didn't go to a seminar. I went to an interview and we talked about my research and what I had learned. We submitted to the insurance and i had surgery about a month later.