Just returning, Kaiser member info?

 Howdy!
I was on OH four years ago, was approved through Kaiser (Richmond), had met with the surgeon and all, but life interfered. Well, I'm back now and am pursuing WLS again. I was wondering if any fellow NoCal Kaiser members are here and have some info for me? I'm seeing my PCP on Monday, but was trying to do some reconnaissance first.

There used to be KP.org bulletin boards with great posts. Has that disappeared?
Does Kaiser Fremont also (or still) require a 10% weight loss pre-surgery?
Is the process still the same: physician eval, psych eval, pre-surgery (EKG, etc.) info?
Any idea on the wait time for approval/meeting with surgeon/surgery date scheduled?

Thanks for any and all insight! (Tried searching on here for Kaiser, couldn't see anything... possible I missed some tool to find this info myself?)

Kirsten 

I don't know anything about Kaiser but I did want to welcome you back. We do have quite a few Kaiser people on the Cali Board so I am sure you will hear from at least a couple of them. I hope to see you joining in our post and making your own post too. Good Luck with getting everything going again. 

Hi Kirsten!

That's my daughter's name too.  Welcome back and so glad you are pursing WLS again.  Nancy aka Sunray had her surgery at Kaiser Richmond.  I see her more on facebook these days but I will tell her to read your post on OH.  Mommy A1C (D) had her surgery at Kaiser Fremont and both are generally at our Nor Cal Losers luncheons.

Speaking of luncheon, we have a Nor Cal luncheon on June 26th, Nancy, D and I and LOTS of wonderful folks will be there too.  We just celebrated our 1st year of Nor Cal Losers luncheons and field trips together.  Our group is growing anf growing and we have SOOOO much fun.  We're not a formal support group but a group of friends who like to rally together to share and support each other on their journeys and we sure hope you'll join us. Spouses and friends are always welcome too.  I have posted a thread a little ways down and generally try to post each week as a reminder.

Welcome back we're so glad you are here.

Hugs,
Barb

I had RNY through Kaiser about 6.5 months ago.  I'm not aware of the KP.org bulletin board on Obesity Help.

To qualify for surgery, you have to go through a program that meets weekly for six months, which most people find to be worthwhile. The law no longer allows them to require a 10% weight loss pre-surgery, but it is strongly recommended to make your surgery easier to do, and in my group of 13 people from the 6-month classes, the surgery dates seemed to be assigned in the order of how compliant a person was especially in this regard.

My experience was that from the tme I made the initial call, it was about 3 months before I could begin the 6-month classes.  Then people from my Kaiser group had their surgeries anywhere from a couple of months later all the way up to 7 months after completing the 6-month classes.

I love Kaiser, but unfortunately the program doesn't permit you to do the 3 evaluations (psych, internist, and surgeron****il after you've gone through the 6 month classes.  And people with health issues or previous surgeries that  made WLS more risky had to undergo a lot more testing which delayed some people's surgery dates. 

Everyone in my Kaiser group is very glad they did it and found surgery and recovery to be a lot easier than what we had expected.  Congrats on your decision to begin a really wonderful new life.

Janell C.

Janell, the Options classes you did are only with Kaiser in Southern CA, and not here in Northern CA. There is always confusion about that.

    But what I would like to ask you is about the law no longer allowing Kiaser, or presumably any insurer, to require the 10% weight loss. Can you fill everyone in about that?
    Thanks very much!

Larra

Larra, all I know about Kaiser not being able to require the 10% weight loss to be eligible for surgery is what we were told in our orientations class before the Options classes began:  The speaker said that a lawyer patient sued and won for being denied surgery for not having lost 10% of his body weight.  As a result they could not longer make that a requirement, and as a result people are inclined to gain weight while they're waiting to have surgery.  Unfortunately I'm one of those people who gained instead of losing because I had too many "last suppers."  But I was permitted to have surgery anyway.

I thought they said the law does not permit them to deny surgery for not meeting the weight loss requirement.  But I could be wrong, perhaps it's just a Kaiser policy.  If I get an opportunity to find out, I will post it on this forum.

Janell C.

Larra,

P.S.  So NorCal doesn't have anything similar to the 6 months of Options classes?  Thanks.

Janell C.

Janell, the Kaiser health plan in Northern CA is related to but separate from the Southern CA plan, and the bariatrics programs are separate as well. There are no "options" classes in Northern CA. Each facility has its own educational requirements, but nothing like the 6 months of classes, and with the 3 month wait just to get in. People have also filed grievances in Southern CA to get out of the Options classes and have been successful (against Kaiser's wishes, with help from the DMHC). Other people find the classes beneficial, so it's a personal choice whether or not to fight about it.
     Thanks for the info on the weight loss requirement. Any further info you find out might be very helpful to others who struggle to lose that weight and just can't do it, and are prevented from receiving needed medical care. I do know that if someone files a grievance about this, the DMHC will rule against Kaiser, but people aren't aware of this and believe they must do whatever the insurer says they must do, or some might be afraid to cause trouble .

Larra

Kristen -

I am a Kaiser patient & am having my surgery in Fremont.  I can tell you the process & give you some pointers.  If you want send me an e-mail to [email protected]  & I can call you with all the information. 

 Thank you all! I appreciate the information! I'll probably be at Fremont or SSF, but had been approved, etc. in Richmond previously.

I'm glad to hear about the 10% - I'd lost almost all of it, but was delayed and never pursued it again... I don't have a problem losing close to that, but it was a bit stringent (I was like 1 pound away and had to wait to make further appointments).

I'm thinking I'll come to the event on the 26th, but it's a bit of a drive, so not sure yet.

Thanks again, I appreciate it!
Kirsten