Please Help!!!!!!!!! I need to start my approval process and I'm clueless

Please help! My doctor has recommended that I have the surgery and don't know where to begin. I have BCBSFL Blue Choice and I know that there is an exclusion as of 01/01/05. Has anyone had any luck and if so please help me with where to begin.

The first step is calling your insurance company to find out what their requirements are for WLS approval. Even call a couple times to make sure you are getting the same answer each time. Next step is finding a surgeon in your area who will take your insurance. You might need to travel a bit to find one, many of us had to do that. Next attend info sessions or support groups to help determine if that doctor is right for you, talk to his patients, ask questions. Most surgeons have an office staff that will work with you on what exactly you need as far as testing requirements or letters then they submit the appropriate paperwork to the insurance company for approval. Then the real waiting begins... Good luck! Amy

wow...nice new pic Amy, just beautiful! hugs, Tami

Roberta, Insurance companies are changing policies alomst daily these days. Yesterday they excluded all surgeries, tomorrow they allow them. Talk to your insurance comapny, or your benefits administrator. Find out what your insurance company requires and what surgeons they use, a good surgeon's office will help you with the insurance woes. Good luck, steve

Thanks for all your help guys!

What other poster said would be the right thing to do- if you did not have an exclusion. An exclusion really limits you. From what I hear the only thing you can do is go to e employer or HR department and see if they will allow the surgery- or get an obesity attorney do it for you. It is your company that does the exclusions not the the insurance company except certain states where it is tough to get the surgery statewide. Otherwise they usually discount it alot and finance it if you want to do self pay Good luck Edyth