State of Arizona Employees...did you get approved?

If I tested negative TWICE in the last year for sleep apnea, do I have any chance of getting approved? Everyone says no.  Even with appeals I can't find anyone that got approved without having it.  If you have been approved without sleep apnea and are a state employee please tell me how!  HELP.   I have Schaller Anderson but its the states qualifications that are the problem! Thanks oodles, LMT

Sleep Apnea is not the only qualifying co-morbidity.  There are lots of others that may help you get approval.  Joint pain, GERD, history of cancer, colon polyps, degenerative disk disease and others, in addition to the regular diabetes, hypertension, etc.  None of these is a for sure approval and it's a really tough battle, but arm yourself with everything you can.  Don't give up.   Connie

Are you a state employee and got approved?  I have many of these conditions that you listed but everyone from admissions, to billing to schaller anderson have told me it takes basically an immediate lifethreatening ailement.  I have type 2 as well but even people with diabetes are getting denied.... Please let me know if you are a state employee who did get approved and for what... Thanks oodles. Lyns

Lyns, I am a state employee and was approved, but that was over three years ago and after a long battle.  Your diabetes is every much a co-morbidity as sleep apnea and is every bit as life threatening.  The thing is to get all of your co-morbidities documented by at least your pcp and even specialists if you can and get letters of medical necessity.  To be honest, I'll be suprised, pleasantly so, if you get approved first time out, but even more surprised if you don't get approved at all.  You'll probably have to appeal and probably appeal again, but it's worth it.  Don't give up. Connie

Forgot to tell you what I was approved for.... Don't know.  I went to every specialist under the sun and got every co-morbidity I had documented.  I had 6 letters of medical necessity from everything from a Physical Therapist to a Chiropractor to a Cardio-Pulmonary Specialist to a Orthopedic Surgeon and several more to boot.  After finding polyps during a colonoscopy, I had the gastro-enterologist write a letter of medical necessity stating how the chances for colon cancer increase with obesity and since there was a positive family history for colon cancer, it was medically necessary that I have weight loss surgery.  Granted, I had to write at least one of the letters myself because my pcp was too busy, but he stuck it on his letterhead and signed it.  I don't know if it was one thing in my file or a cumulation, but I covered all my bases just in case.   I did have to appeal all the way to the State Insurance Board, but I understand that by the time it got there, the board was so ticked at my insurance carrier (after seeing all the evidence in my file) that they wrote some sort of letter of reprimand to the insurance company.  Even after that, Cigna refused to reverse their decision and issue an approval letter until the Insurance Commission got nasty.   So what I'm saying is fight for it.  Don't give up.  This is your life you're fighting for. Connie

Thank you!  Well they said diabetes that can be controlled by medication is not good enough.  Right now I am going to take your advice and see as many doctors as i can.  I am nervous that they wont give me a letter being that I am a "new patient."  I am going to try though.  I am also going to hire Obesity law after I can gather up the consults and hopefully get the letters.  thank you so much for your words of encouragement.  Its hard to not get depressed dealing with all the bull****!   LMT.