i had united health care ppo and they denied me 4 times....my dr office recommend i file an appeal through obesitylaw.com...three weeks later i got an approval letter in the mail.  you should really check it out it may help.

I am desparate.  My husband's insurance turned him down for the surgery.  He is well qualified for it, but they are stating that it is not covered under our policy.  A woman he works with had it 3 years ago with United Health Care and had no problems getting it covered.  We are just beginning this journey and don't have any idea what to do next.  We spoke with the Benefits Administrator who was very condescending and judgmental and claimed that the policy NEVER covered it even though we work with someone who had it and she used the same insurance.  Has anyone had any luck with appeals and if so, can you give us some advice as to what to do next.  Our surgeon is Dr. Chae. I am very afraid that if my husband doesn't get this surgery, he won't be around much longer.  I love him with all of my heart and we have a new baby.  I really need some help with all of this.  It is overwhelming. Thanks!  I appreciate it.

Hi Angel,     My first consult was Feb. 5, and they told me at that time that I could have a surgery date as soon as Feb. 28.  I chose Mar. 6 instead.  (Hey....I had a hair appointment on the 1st that I didn't want to miss! ha)  I had to wait probably about 3 weeks from the time I made my first appointment until he could see me....and yes, that seems pretty typical.  That's one of the main reasons I decided not to see the other surgeon I was considering.  I just didn't want to put this whole process off another couple of months.        I am a self pay so I didn't have to worry about insurance.  Here's a tip for you.  When I made my appointment, I thought I was only making an appointment to talk to the doctor, but it turns out, when I got there they had me see everyone....the social worker, the nutritionist, the financial person.  This probably isn't an issue if your insurance is paying for it, but since I'm a self pay, it was an issue.  As it turned out, since I went ahead and scheduled surgery, it was good that I had all that done, but if you're just in the fact finding stage, you might not want to go thru the whole drill.  Then again, it sounds like you are anxious to get going, so you may want to get all those things done.         Let me know what you think after you see him.  Do you know what kind of surgery you're having? Susan

Hi Angel,      I've had an initial consultation with Dr. Metz, and after that consultation, I scheduled surgery for March 6.  Dr. Metz is young, but he seems very competent, and his training is tops.  I chose him because he has some experience in the gastric sleeve (VSG) which is the surgery I wanted.  I debated about also seeing another more experienced surgeon, but after meeting Dr. Metz, I felt confident in his abilities, so I canceled my other appointment.       Oh...and if you send him an e-mail....he answers it!     So, I guess you saw him today?  What did you think?  What kind of surgery are you having? Susan

I had Dr. Brown do my surgery 12-17-07 and liked him very much and have to say I think PSL is a cleaner hospital.  I had a friend have surgery a few weeks ago at St. Joe's with Dr. Chae and the room didn't seem as nice.  Also Dr. Chae ALWAYS puts in a drain for after surgery and Brown only does it if absolutely necessary.  I liked Brown because he is up front and will get to the point.  I hear Dr. Chae is excellent and very nice.  It is a hard decision to make.  Now Dr. Metz I don't know much about but if he is under Dr. Brown I'm sure he must have the highest standards to have Dr. Metz join his practice.  Also I really like Dr. Brown's team, especially Allison she is the nicest nurse I have talked to.  Here is some info. on Dr. Metz from Brown's website: Matthew Metz, MD Dr. Matthew Metz was recruited from the Cleveland Clinic, where he completed a Fellowship in Bariatric and Laparoscopic Surgery under the expert guidance of the world-renown ASMBS President, Dr. Philip Schauer. While in Cleveland, Dr. Metz performed over three hundred complex procedures, including revisional bariatric surgery, advanced endoscopy, and numerous foregut operations. He has published several papers in the medical literature, and is currently awaiting release of a review textbook on Bariatric Surgery, of which he is a co-author. He is an active member in several surgical societies, and has made presentations at national and international meetings on advanced laparoscopic and endoscopic techniques. His sensitivity and easy-going nature make him very approachable to his patients and their families. We are very fortunate to have Dr. Metz on our staff at the Colorado Bariatric Surgery Institute.  Hope this helps.