What if you don't have the 5 year history. I've been overweight for a number of years now, but I was never really sick so I never went to the doctor. Hence I don't have the weight records for 5 years. I went to the hospital about a year ago for knee surgery. It was weight related. I have a BMI of 42 now. I just moved to a new state so I don't even have my old doctor anymore. I have a new doctor now and I talked about it with him. I'm going in for a physical in a few weeks and my pcp is going to write me a letter. Diabetes and high blood pressure run in the family. What do you think my chances are of getting approved? After I get the letter from my doctor I'll be doing the psych evaluation.

Does YOUR insurance require a 5-year history of being overweight?

Yes. They do ask for a 5 year history.

That's uncommon with a BMI over 40...that's a bummer. I suggest calling them and explaining your situation. Are you sure you never went to a doc 5 (or more years ago) who might have a record of your weight?

If not, you can ask if there is any circumstance where that requirement is waived. Good luck!

This was discussed at the seminars I attended. They said that many insurance companies would accept weight records from places like Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, etc. I didn't have WLS insurance, so I don't know the details.

this is my first post***

But i have the same question. Would like a good response.

What do you do if you don't have a 5 year history (my insurance requires it as well). Has anyone else been faced with this?

My current BMI is 52.

I also needed a 5 year history and was missing a year or two in the middle. My insurance told me to just write a letter stating why I didn't go to the doctor that year and what my weight was those years. So you might ask if a letter would be ok. I have also heard of some people submitting photos to sub for the weight history.

I just wanted to thank everyone who has posted to this thread. You information has been very helpful. I know I'll be missing two years of information. My doctor told me to bring a list of what my weights were for those years along with the types of diet and exercise I was doing at that time. I hope that it goes ok. I'm wondering if I should go ahead and go to the psych doctor before my physical so that I can have that out of the way. The more I do now the less time I'll have to wait before I know if I'm accepted or denied.

I dont know if you are male or female but in the chance you are female, did you see a GYN during that time? Or perhaps a chiropractor where they recorded your weight?

Yea I'm a male so that option is out the window. I do have records for 2008 and 2007.

I cannot believe that you guys live in a country that will pay for this with insurance!!!! We have no show over here in NZ. I am considering trying to make a case in light of family history etc but its relatively unheard of.

It might depend on your insurance. I have BCBS of NC.

I've been in college the past 5 years and I had two years of weights and that's it.

My surgeon told me to gather photos (dated) and give them to my general care doctor, who then needed to write a letter stating that the person in the photos was indeed me, that they estimated my weight to be x amount of pounds in each photo, etc.

Of course I can't tell you if this works or not... I still have one more pre-op appointment before my paperwork is submitted to my insurance company. But my surgeon said they've had numerous people do that in the past with good results.

I cannot believe that you guys live in a country that will pay for this with insurance!!!! We have no show over here in NZ. I am considering trying to make a case in light of family history etc but its relatively unheard of.

I think some of the insurance companies ares tarting to realize it is cheaper to pay for bariatric surgery than it is to deal with the health issues of the obese.

Wow, five years is an awful long time. I don't recall the actual number of years my insurance required verifiable record regarding my weight issues.

I do know that I always saw the same doctor for 13 years, but then she left her practice and moved out of the country. At the same time, her practice kept electronic records, which crashed, she had know written records.

I thought great, now I am really up a creek. How am I ever going to prove my weight issues. All my documented phen-fen and other diet pills and weight related issue visits disappeared when their computer system crashed.

And now I had to explain my story to a new primary care doctor who I never met or heard of before. But my new PC was great. I told him that I wanted the band. That I was seeing my previous doctor for over 13-years for all types of matters, which included weight issues. He agreed to write a letter to the insurance company, which stated that I had the necessary documented records pertaining to weight loss and weight issues.

I can tell you I was freaking out thinking I would have to wait more years to build a track record with the new PC, but he heard my story, he new I had been going to that practice forever and he supported my WLS goal.

P.S. My new PC keeps a paper trail now, plus the electronic records.