New here. Band to RNY rev in Tampa with Dr. Murr.

I had the band placed 8 years ago and lost a considerable amount of weight.  Never got to goal because I got pregnant with my son.  Never could get back on track and my band stopped working.  It is filled to where they can't even pu****er in anymore, yet I can eat almost anything after 10am.  But I still get reflux and have terrible body pain with my weight coming back on.  I also have pain whenever I eat or drink anything and when I lay on my side.  I want this band out and I want to get the bypass surgery I originally wanted but was talked out of.

I am looking to have my revision done at Tampa General with Dr. Murr.  I have BCBS of Texas and have already checked to see what is covered.  I have to pay up to 3k of all costs, then the rest is covered by my insurance. The only requirements I need for approval are a note from a psych, to be over 40 BMI (I'm 56 BMI) and the surgical facility needs to be a "center of excellence" which TGH is.  So I am clear on all that.

Here are my questions:

1.  If you have gone through TGH did you have to pay program fees, and did these get covered by insurance or did they count towards your copay/deductible amount with insurance?  How much was your program fee?

2.  They require a WLS seminar, and a WLS pre-op group meeting.  Can I start the insurance approval process before the group meeting?  I really want to get surgery done the latter part of May, and it can take approx 30 days to get back approval, but the pre-op group meeting I can attend is only available May 4th and my seminar is not available till April 20.  I just have a lot of things going on this summer and I need to be on the path to recovery asap.

3.  How long did you stay in the hospital?  Their WLS brochure online was done in 2009 and states that you have to stay in the hospital for 3 to 5 days.  But I am reading surgery stories of people staying in the hospital for only 1 or 2 days.  

4.  Anyone have revision with Dr. Murr?  How does he feel about it?  

5.  Just overall, what are the things you love and hate about TGH and WLS there?

Just had a VBG to RNY done on 3-3-2015.  Operation went fine but had complication with heart.  Spent 4 days in ICU.  I am home now doing well.  Dr Murr was fantastic.  TGH gave great care.

"Program fees" are $500.00 not covered by insurance and not refundable.

Hi, I had rny with Dr Murr in 2012, I was in hospital three days.  I had anthem BC/BS, I just had to pay my co-pays and jump thru the hoops.  Dr Murr and his staff are great.  My co-pays did not count towards my yearly deductible.  I reached my goal and then some at 15 months out and have been maintaining since.  Good luck, TGH was a good choice for me.