I am just at the beginning stages of preparing to get banded. I had my blood workup and found that my thyroid is out of whack. So, the doctor put me on Synthroid for two months. I went back for my recheck and weighed while I was there. I am at my all time highest weight ever. I am 5'3" (almost) and weigh 276.8lbs.

I know that my BMI is high enough, but I don't have any comorbidities that I know of. I don't have high blood pressureor diabetes. (Does high cholesterol or insulin resistance count?)

Anyway...I was thinking thinking that I would like to do something while I wait to jump through all the hoops, but I don't want to lose some weight and have my insurance company say, "See, you can do it on your own." I know that I can lose weight. I lost 100 lbs. on LA weightloss once; I just can't keep it off.

So, should I give Weight Watchers another dance, or should I just hold on until I can get the hoops jumped? I don't want to remain as fat as I am, but I also don't want to be denied.

Any advice you can give would be great.

Thanks in advance.

*oops...pressure or

What insurance do you have, and do you know what that company requires FOR YOUR POLICY? (they are all different!) some have more hoops than others. I had no hoops and only had to wait 48 hours for approval, but my BMI was in the upper 60's. You need to find out what your ins requires and then decide what will work for you! :tt1:

I have UHC, and all they would tell me on the phone was that I needed a letter of medical necessity from my doctor. Surely that's not ALL they need. I do know that my insurance DOES cover bariatric surgery "if you qualify." I just don't know what all that will entail.

I"d call back, find out exactly WHAT needs to be in the letter of medical necessity, and then find out what else they might need. I've read of people having problems with UHC (I have no personal experience with it...just from what I've read) so you want to be extra sure. If the next person blows you off, ask for a supervisor. Ask if they can email you the portion of your policy that covers in writing what they are tellling you. Be firm!

I have UHC, and all they would tell me on the phone was that I needed a letter of medical necessity from my doctor. Surely that's not ALL they need. I do know that my insurance DOES cover bariatric surgery "if you qualify." I just don't know what all that will entail.

This is exactly what my policy is through UHC. Much to my doctor's surprise, they submitted the ppwk and I was approved within 24 hours. UHC has a variety of different policies . . . I just happened to be on the Countrywide EPO at the time that I was going through the process and it is EXCELLENT coverage for bariatric surgery. My doctor's office had dealt with other UHC patients, just not ones on the Countrywide EPO, so they were expecting a much bigger application/approval process. Fortunately, it was just as UHC said it was and I loved calling my doctor with my approval number (I stayed on top of everything).

I also have a thyroid problem and am on Synthroid. However, I was on it for nearly a year before my surgery and it didn't cause me to lose even a single pound. I think I initially began to gain weight because of my low thyroid back when I was a child, but once I became overweight, food had become such an addiction that resolving the original problem did not resolve the current problem.

If you do decide to go with the surgery, though, make sure you stay on your synthroid. The thyroid can really impact your metabolism and after banding, keeping your metabolism up becomes very important

The first time I went to my docs office (to the 3 hour class prior to consult) they weighed me and this little tape thing printed. Find out what exactly they submit to your insurance and when. My doc said the tape that printed on that first visit is what goes to ins and I could start trying to lose.