Falling below BMI 40 during Aetna pre-op

**I posted this on the insurance message board also. Anything you can offer would be great*** THANKS!! At the end of the month my surgeon will submit my WLS request to Aetna. In the last 5 years I've had a BMI of 40 or above each year. My concern is that my BMI was 43 when I started the pre-op diet. Right now my BMI is around 39.5 and I don't have the co-morbidities that Aetna requires for BMI's under 40. Will Aetna use my current weight or my starting weight for the determination? Has anyone had experience with this? I'd like to know as much about this as possible, so the request is submitted in the best possible way. I've read and re-read Aetna's guidelines. I meet every other guideline specified. This is the only thing not spelled out in their policy.

If what ever your following is making you lose enough to drop your BMI. Do you need to have the WL Surgery or could you keep doing what your doing?

My weight has gone up and down over the last five years. I can't keep the weight off. Even now I'm struggling to not gain weight. At 26 I'm having trouble with my knees, back, PCOS and stress incontinence. The co-morbities are settling in. I've spent soooo much money trying to lose weight with no success. I've never been able to maintain a BMI of under 40 for more than two weeks. So yes, in my opinion I need the surgery. If I want to have children I must do this. My sister suffered had PCOS and it wasn't corrected until she had WLS.

***correcting my type.... My sister suffered with PCOS and it wasn't corrected until she had WLS. I feel very strongly that WLS is the right answer for me. This is not my first attempt at weightloss; this is my last resort.

You are so correct. It is the wanting of the surgery that we feel will help us really accomplish our weight loss goals. Liz

Cheat on your diet. Milkshakes with extra ice cream should help get the BMI where it belongs for surgery.

LOL!!! Dieting is so hard that I don't have to add a milkshake. I've never maintained a BMI under 40, so I imagine I'm right back at 40 now. Thanks for the tip!

I so understand what you are saying if dieting worked for keeping the weight off -- very few of us would need surgery. I have no advice to offer on your insurance, but I wanted to encourage you and lend you some support. Red

Thank you so much!