Please ADVISE New to the whole thing

I am scheduled to go to Dr. Wizman's Information Session, eeven though I have been to one for memorial hospital, until I found out they didn't take my Insurance Humana Family. What happens next. I received a referral from my doctor and Dr. Wizman's office asked if my doc said if it was medicially necessary my PCP said yes. What to do from here. I am 26, female, 246 BMI 43.3. Degenerative Disc Disease on my back and arthritis on my neck, legs hurt and back hurts all the time, I think I might have sleep apnea, but I guess they will check me for that. What else should I know..... also I have records from weigh****chers and some other things showing weight loss attempts.

Once you go to the seminar, your dr will give you all the tests he/she wants done prior to the surgery, once that is done then everything including your weigh****chers records will be turned into the insurance company.  Some insurance companies require a 5 year medical weight history, some require a supervised dr weight loss attempt.  Check with your insurance or your surgeon to find out exactly what they want. Good luck!! Anne

My insurance required a 6 month medically supervised diet and they did not considered Weigh****chers to be acceptable. I made an appointment with my primary care physican and took all my WW records to her. She had in my medical record when I started WW so she wrote my letter of medical necessity she also put the total weight loss that I had with WW but didn't mention WWjust that it was medically supervised. I was approved in less than 2 weeks. I also had to send a letter from myself and my husband as to how my life would change with the surgery and why I felt this was the best choice for me. I wish you the best on our journey.

I had Humana and they did not accept my 3 years of Weigh****chers records either. And my doctor knew I was attending WW but did not record anything of this sort in my medical records either. You need to call your Humana Rep to receive in writing their requirements plus check on their website under your policy for the requires also which will have the Surgical Data Codes. Plus is your policy through a employement policy? They also have different requirements or exclusions. Someone in your surgeon's office of choice may also have all of these answers for you too. Policy requirements change every year sometimes month to month. I hate to be a party pooper but you still have Investigational work to do. It took me two years to get going with my surgeon and another two years to receive my Roux-en-Y. May the best of prayers guide you to receive your dreams to be heathy, Mike 

SHould I go to my PCP and have them start me on a supervised diet plan now. or should I wait and see what i have to do when I go to the info session?

I would actually call your insurance company and ask them specifically what is and is not covered and write down who you spoke to, the date and time, even ask for a Reference # so that you know they have it in your file.  Then from that point ask who they recommend that is participating.  I was so very fortunate that I called and was told that the only thing they were looking for was 5 years of progress notes that showed me being overweight.  I took those IN HAND to my first consult and they opened my case that day and I was approved in a week.  I am due to have my surgery on August 6th.  I wish you the best of luck!!