Dr Kemmeter - Grand Rapids/ Pre-Op HELP!!!!

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone here has had surgery performed by Dr. Kemmeter in Grand Rapids, MI and if so I am hoping someone could give me some insight on my situation with dealing w/his pre-op coordinator Nettie?

I saw dr. kemmeter on 5/05/09 to discuss my surgery options ( I have a lap band that is causing issues of acid reflux and a hernia) and decided that doing a revision to RNY was my best option, so on 5/11 I called his pre-op coordinator Nettie and left her a message that Monday . Never heard from her so I figured because I called at 2 PM she may have left the office (I was calling to tell her what my decision was so they could start the authorization letter and forwarded it to the insurance company ). I never heard from her all day Tuesday or Wednesday , so on Thursday morning I called and left another voicemail. She STILL never returned my phone call. I waited until the weekend was over and called on Monday - still no call back. Finally when I called on Tuesday she exclaimed that "she had been expecting my call" which seriously pissed me off because I left my number several times. I told her what my decision was and what needed to be done, so she looked at my insurance information and told me I needed to get my lab blood work done and so she would fax the paper work over to Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, MI and then call the ins company to see if any other requirements were needed (Cofinity/PHP ) and if she found anything out she'd call me right back.

Well within 20 minutes she called back to tell me that she was angry because they were requiring me to go to some weight loss seminar even tho I already had weight loss surgery and that she left a message w/the director and that maybe if i could call and talk to someone they could clear it up. So, I said okay and that I would get back with her. So I called the ins company and apparently she never told them that I had the lap-band done so all new patients who are wanting any sort of GB had to go through this program but now that they now I've already been though it I am a different case and they are able to let them know when the authorization comes in. So I told the women thank you and called Nettie back and lvm for her on wednesday after 4pm. She called me back and I explained to her that I had spoken to the insurance company and that they were not aware that i had the lap band procedure done, Nettie inturpted me and said "no, you didn't" and I said "Yes, i have had the lap band" and Nettie replied again "no, you haven't" finally after her third denial of me having this surgary "I said I have had the lap band in place since August of 2006 and that dr. kemmeter is doing a revision on me". Nettie then paused, i could hear her rifling through my file to come back and go "your right, but i did tell them". I also explained to her that they may want me to go through the Sparrow Weight Management Program before they could give an approval and it's required, however with my case it could be different.