Did anyone call the insurance company to check the status of their approval? My stuff was received on Monday & I SOOO want to call, but I don't want to be a pain in the ass. Did anyone call??

EVERYDAY. I called everyday for 2 weeks, found out the doctor's office had been given the wrong approval information, called the doc - they faxed it over that day, next day I called and was approved.

Being a PITA just means they want you to go away - they can't deny for being one.

AWESOME!! I won't feel guilty for calling then!!

I have been in this process for about 5 months. I am scheduled for surgery August 7th. I got my approval yesterday. I was told last week when I got my surgery date to call the hospital this week to see if I got the approval.

They don't even contact the insurance agency till you are set for a surgery date. Which is interesting in itself.

They send a letter from the surgeon to the insurance company.

I have BCBS and from what I have heard they are pretty good here in MA for approval.

Can't wait till August 7th.

I think I waited a week or 2 to call. It was fairly quick.

Pester the insurance company. I have worked with insurance and most will do their best to drag their feet on it. Sometimes if you call you can get a helpful rep that can push it through for you.

Don't be put off if they get nasty remember YOU PAY THEM!!

I didn't call at all. My doctor's office said Aetna would take 2-3 weeks usually, and it did. I was just about to call when I got the news. I might add that I know that the staff here knows their stuff, so I didn't think nagging would be useful or necessary.

Orea

You should definitely call when you are told they have the paperwork. Just because the doctor's office sent it, doesn't mean the insurance company got it!

How much you call after that is up to you.

A word of caution. My approval took 4 weeks from submission of paperwork. Naturally I got antsy and called the insurance company (Carefirst Blue Choice-Maryland). Well the rep I got told me I would likely be denied because my psych evaluator and dietician were out of network. Now they accept diet documentation from Weight Watchers, why would the dietician I choose cause me to be denied? He couldn't answer that and kept repeating that I would likely be denied. I did everything through the bariatric team, even having their dietician monitor my required 6 month diet. But she and the psych evaluator I paid out of pocket, which is all out of network means. If you want to use an out of network provider, you must pay the bill. Needless to say I was having a complete meltdown while trying to call my surgeon's office. They were also trying to reach me, to tell me I had been APPROVED. So the info given by customer service was incorrect at best, and got me majorly upset to boot. Your surgeon's office has been dealing with insurance for a while I assume, so they would be the best ones to call, IMHO.

I called the insurance daily. Mine was a quick approval-only took a few days. The first day I called the insurance lady told me to check back in one week & she gave me a looong explanation of how this approval may take a while....I told her no way would i wait a week to call back, expect to hear from me daily until i get my approval. :smile: I started this process on May 23rd & now here i am sitting in the hospital waiting to be admitted to get my band. Keep on calling!

Mine only took a day but I called them within hours of submitting LOL

Unbelievably the rep I got said they didn't have a decision but about 5 minutes later the phone rang to say I was approved!@

You may want to ask your insurance how long it takes to get approval. Mine told me 21 days, so I called on day 7 or so and they had already mailed my paperwork. I have always heard the squeaky wheel gets the oil- let them hear ya! Good luck!

Call if if it makes you feel better about what's going on. The first surgeon I went to held a little five minute seminar, spoke to each of us in a room individually, and had us fill out tons of paperwork.They called me at home and asked more questions. Then they had a nutritionist and a psychologist each call me at home for the eval's. Before I was done with the eval's my ins. company sent me a letter stating they couldn't make an approval based on what the doctor had sent them. They said they needed more info. I called the surgeon's office and when I got the runaround I called my ins. company. They told me that the surgeon wasn't a Preferred Provider for my PPO and that the doctor was not responding to more letters asking for info that they had sent. That made me change my mind right there and then. I told the ins. company I would be seeking another doctor. I found one a lot closer to home and in my PPO network. The seminar was tons better and I liked the doctor. The first guy seemed like an arrogant **shole. The first guy was supposed to submit a copy of a sleep study by TOMORROW! He NEVER had me schedule one! With the second surgeon I called to see what was up. They said to be patient and they would call me for the first consultation. They said in the meantime I could see my PCP and have him send in a referral letter (done), have my gall bladder ultrasound (done this morning), and have an Upper GI and sleep study done (both next week) Am I glad I called and "pestered" my ins company??? Heck yes!!! :smile:

Lisa

Ok, I called the insurance co again today. A very nice lady put me on hold for a while & then told me they received my paperwork Monday & it was already sent to the nurse and it's "IN REVIEW". I guess that's good, right?? She said it should take a few days. I can't stand the wait!!! Review is good, right???:confused2:

You bet I called, and I am glad I did... found that the surgeons office missed something called the surgeon back... I called again to verify everything and by that afternoon received call from surgeon stating my surgery is approved... Now just waiting for the date...

X ray complete 07/08/2008

Lab work 07/10/2008

EKG 07/09/2008

GI 07/12/2008

Woo hoo getting excited:thumbup:

Do NOT wait until you are supposed to hear back. I offer advice as one whose paperwork was "lost" (both entirely and in parts!) repeatedly by both the weight loss center and the insurance company. Supposedly everything has now been found, and I have been approved and scheduled -- for the wrong surgery -- now that I'll have a new set of deductibles & co-payments to make. And I first applied last September! Good luck, & keep your fingers crossed for me.