I have MAMSI / Optimum Choice and they require documentation of 6 months of dieting prior to approval of the procedure. I am trying to find out how anyone else did this. I have been on weight watchers and taking diet pills forever but have not seen my doctor monthly while doing this. If anyone can tell me how they did this, I would appreciate it.

I have heard of people using their weight watchers logs as the six month recorded diet. My friend who is also having the lapband started a diet with his GP after the consultation with our surgeon, which will be his 6 month supervised diet. It all depends on your insurance and what the surgeon wants to do.

I don't know about your insurance but for mine it had to be a 6 month DR. supervised diet , so I talked to my PCP and he started doing what he calls weight clinics with me where he put me on x number of calories a day and gave me some food restrictions then he weighs me and records it once a month. At first I was really upset about this but have discovered it is helping to teach me a lot of new habits for when I finally get the band although some days it is still frustrating. GOOD LUCK to you.

Mi

If you have been going to Weight Watchers you can use your booklet that they write your weight in each week or you can give them a copy of your cancelled checks. I was paying online so I just printed a copy of my bank statement and that was all they needed.

Hope this helps.

Waynette

Being banded July 11 by Nich Nicholson at Baylor Plano

I used my weight watcher log. Dr. Singh's office copied it and I had no problems, my insurance approval went right through. My surgery was done on 6/11/08

I am also one of Dr. Singh's patients. He and Dr. Averbach work together at St. Agnes. If you have enough documentation you will be able to use your Weight Watcher's experience as long as it was at least 6 months. I didn't have that so I set up a 6 month diet with Arlene, the dietician, and she supervised and documented my weight, and at the end wrote a cover letter to go with the weight log. So if you don't have enough from Weight Watchers you might make an appointment with Arlene. It wasn't expensive, about $35. Then I saw her later for my pre-post op dietary consult. During the 6 months I read everything I could find, and started coming here, as well as going to the group support meetings At St. Agnes. Learned a lot before surgery.

My insurance required Doctor Supervised Diet with monthly weigh-ins, nutritional education and behavioral modification...all had to be documented monthly in my patient file. I had to do this for at least 6 month in the last two years and I did. BTW, my insurance is Aetna PPO.

If you lose weight during the six months and your BMI drops (below 40 - I'm right at 40 now) and your co-morbidities improve then can you still be considered a candidate for the lap band?

If your insurance is requiring the 6 month weight loss then if you go below their guidelines for BMI then you will not qualify for the Lapband. The 6 month diet is not to prepar for surgery but to prove that you are not able to persistantly maintain a healthy weight. That is why I had to go through 6 months with two appeals with Aetna. During my diet my BMI dropped to 34.8 (1 lbs below) for only 5 days and they tried to disqualify me for that. In the end I prevailed due to it was only .20 that I went below and not a full point.

Just be careful and only lose a "few pounds", do not go below their guidelines.

Thank You! I was wondering about this because I have Cigna insurance and I have heard they are very hard to approve WLS. They also require a 6 month supervised diet. I thought that provision was a way for them to get out of paying. I will remember to not be too successful.

Thanks for all the replies. I saw my doctor yesterday and he seems to be very comfortable that this will be an easy process. Since he saw me in April and May and again yesterday, and I had my Weight Watchers log with me, :thumbup:he will write up those 3 months as my first three and then I will just see him for the next 3. He said they have never rejected his documentation before. I meet with Arlene today at 11:15 so the process is moving along!!!