Hi everone,

I'm new here. I'm seriously thinking of getting this done.

have been reading your posts and have many questions.Hope you all can help.How did you get started, what kinds of hoops do ya have to go through?

anyone had this done in fla? costs... insurance coverage? dont want to bambard ya with all my questions at once.hope to hear from ya

..THANKS,TERI

Hi Teri! You will find pretty much all the answers in the website...use the search feature as a first step. My insurance co. covered my band at 70%, without a lot of hoop jumping, either. Other co.'s are different; so start with a search on "insurance." I got started with a rec. from an orthopedic surgeon...referred to a surgeon for the lapband, talked to their office, filled out all the paperwork for the insurance co., went to a seminar, went to a consultation, had some pre-op tests done, scheduled the lap band surgery and voila! It took about a month, maybe a little over, from when I started, to when I had my surgey. That seems pretty quick; others took lots longer. Keep reading everything you can find, learn about the advantages, the problems, etc., and you'll be on your way, if you decide it's right for you. Glad to have you around! Cindy

All insurance companies are different. Some will cover - some won't. They all have different requirements too. I have Tricare and they wouldn't cover ANY of it - they said it was still considered "experimental" - so I was self-pay. It also depends if you have any co-morbities (i.e. diabeties or sleep apnea) whether they'll cover any of it. You should check with your insurance company first to see if they cover any kind of WLS. Also, if you have to be a self-pay - some doctors - like mine - Dr. Ernest Rehnke in St. Pete - have a package that covers everything for surgery/hospital and for a full year post op. Good Luck.

Thanks Cheryl,

I called my insurance today. I'm covered if I meet the criteria,like you said.

co morbid. my bmi has to be over 35 and have to have at least one other co morbid.

I weigh just what u did at the start . my bmi is 36.1 just have to find out about the other stuff. Do ya love you Dr.'s They are the closest ones to me. Thanks agin,Teri

I have Empire BCBS, and I was approved really fast......

I met the criteria and have the co-morbidities sleep Apnea, Insulin Resistance, etc... Good luck in getting approved..

I am happy that I am having DR Rehnke do my surgery.. 8/30/05

Hi there, glad you were approved so fast,hope mine goes that well too.

just not sure where to start .. go to my family dr.or right to the center to see what I have to do to get the ball rolling.I have bcbs too (blue care network).good luck on your surgery date ...pretty soon excited i'll bet!! All my best, Teri