Seeing family Doc Tue. to start the ball rolling. I know I can get lap-band I have a 61.5 BMI! My Ins. (I called last week) will pay if Doc deems it medically necessary. Do you have any advice that may push this along. Information I may need to help it go faster, like a list of diets I have tried (and failed). Doc knows my medical issues. I have decided I want this and I want it now! I need to save my own life and this is the first step!

Seeing family Doc Tue. to start the ball rolling. I know I can get lap-band I have a 61.5 BMI! My Ins. (I called last week) will pay if Doc deems it medically necessary. Do you have any advice that may push this along. Information I may need to help it go faster, like a list of diets I have tried (and failed). Doc knows my medical issues. I have decided I want this and I want it now! I need to save my own life and this is the first step!

In my opinion you should draft your letter prior to your visit and ask your pcp to place it on their letterhead. Of course tell them you are doing this for bariatric clearance/surgery..I had no problems. This is what I did and it benefitted me greatly. Here is a link to a sample...I included diets such as atkins, sugar free, low caloric intake, raw foods, etc and was approved no problem

http://www.drwizman.com/PDFs/med_letter.pdf

IF I had to give you advice it would be to go to a seminar and keep track of every single paper. I started a folder specifically for my lapband papers. At the seminar they gave me a specific paper to give my pcp for every visit during the six month supervised diet. They also bring the 2 different lapbands so you can feel them touch them and maybe decide which you want. I think that you wont have any problem, but the seminar will educate you to the little details that can get you approved by the insurance comp or denied and if you want to get this done fast, then go to the seminar and schedule your psych consult. You will be surprised the amount of respect the surgical doc's office will give you when they see that this is important enough to keep on top of every step of the way!!

Thank you so much for the words of wisdom. I will do anything it takes.

document EVERYTHING!!! Tell your doc to write down everything that you can think of. If you have back pain from the weight, your feet hurt, sleep apnea, anything at all. Do you get rashes from a hanging belly? Anything like that. The more you document the better off you are.

yep - ditto!

I made up a chart of my weights, dates and diets and outcomes --- showing how I'd lose 50 and then gain 60. I think that helped my 5-year history thing cuz duh, when I lost 50 pounds my BMI wasn't over 35 anymore.

list anything and everything you can. My PCP wrote a letter based on my insurance requirements, showing how I met each and every one of them. Then it was sent to my surgeon with my chart included with my medical file (I gave it to PCP) and my surgeon wrote a letter. I'm not exactly sure what he wrote (I would love to see it myself actually) but they faxed it to BCBS on a Friday and BCBS sent out a letter the next Wed of approval.