after over a year of reading and researching ad talking to people who have had the surgery, i decided that lap band is the right thing for me. the problem is i havent been to see a doc for a while and am a little embarrassed to talk to my reg physician about this because of how ive been treated by them in the past. so what do i do now? do i have to have a refferal frm my reg doc ...im just nt sure what the first step in this process is..can anyone help? i would like to pursue this through insurance first but its more likely that i will have to find a way to pay cash. I live near ft.collins and denver sort of in between..does anyone have any reccomendations on which doc i should go to? any help would be appreciated. im about 5'1" and 246lbs so im pretty sure i qualify from all of my research i just dont know what to do next.

Check with your insurance company first to find out if they cover weight loss surgery. If they do, then find out if you need a referral. If you will be self pay, there's an excellent doctor near Denver, Dr. Gerald Kirschenbaum, who will do the surgery for $9950. He's doing my surgery in May. Good luck to you. You'll find lots of answers on this forum if you just look around a bit.

Hello and welcome to LBT. I think the first thing you should do is call your insurance company and ask if they cover lapband. If so, ask for the requirements for approval and if you need a referral to the surgeon. I hope this helps and good luck!

Another vote to call your insurance! :w00t:

They will tell you if Lap band is covered and if so, what surgeons you may choose from (very few insurance companies still exist that will let you go just anywhere) Mine did not require a referral from a PCP or PCM, not all are like that. They can also tell you what requirements you must meet for the surgery....some require 6 months of supervised diet, some diet and exercise, etc.

So that's the place to start. Good luck!

after over a year of reading and researching ad talking to people who have had the surgery, i decided that lap band is the right thing for me. the problem is i havent been to see a doc for a while and am a little embarrassed to talk to my reg physician about this because of how ive been treated by them in the past.

My Dr's assitude towards my weight kept me away from him for almost a year to the date. I'd been thinking about the surgery and knew I needed his referral so I went to see him speciffically for a weight consult he was receptive and suggested surgery, he thinks it's the only medical program with lasting results.

That year of not seeing him nearly caused issues with the documentation of my weight. But now I'm on my way and only need that final letter to submit my approval packet.

Good Luck and don't let them scare you.....