Christy Copeland says...

This is what she told me on the phone. How accurate it is...who actually knows?

She said for me to go ahead and submit my paperwork and get denied. They will tell me what I have to do to get approved and assign me a case manager. Then, if they change anything else, it won't affect me since I am already in the system. There is also the chance that Dr. Macik can request something called a "peer to peer conference" and try to override the support group requirement. I called his office and the nurse said he would do that if I request it. So, here we go...

I've decided that's what I'm going to do when my 6-month diet is finished next month. Good luck!

Hey, I was told you don't have to do the support group, or the online course if you were already actively engaged in the program on 1-1-09.

I say resubmit. I belive you'll get approved now that they have worked the kinks out.

Good Luck, We are praying for you because you are the shb guinea pig.  You'll be the 1st to get hers done.

I specifically asked that question and she said it is only if you had submitted the paperwork you were exempt. 

Talksoup will be before me! She's the guinea pig!

I hope!  Stuff was appealed to Cigna by my attorney on Monday pm.

I was told by Christy Copeland this morning that unless my paperwork was faxed to Cigna by 3/19/09 I will be required to complete the six months support group requirement.  My doctor's office says they faxed everything on 3/5/09, but Cigna has no record.  Unbelievable!

I told her that Valerie told many of us last week that we would be fine as long as we began the online coaching program.  She disagrees...

WOW!  Here we go again. This is so unbelievable.  I talked to Valerie last week as well.  I wish all these folks would sit down at the same meeting and have a talk.

I just talked to Christy too. She told me that I would have to attend the support group meetings, but that they have not decided how they are going to document attendance. It doesn't matter that I had already been doing the online coaching. How can I start this if they dont' know how they want me to document it? Plus, I live in very rural south Georgia. I don't know of any support group meetings that I could attend. I can't go to Atlanta every month! I'm ready to forget the whole thing. What are they going to add next?? This has been so emotionally draining on me, that I can't keep going through this. I think they'll just keep changing the requirements until we'll never be able to apply by the end of the year, and then they'll drop the coverage again. UGH!!

Don't give up Susan.  That's what they want us to do. 

When I got back from lunch I had a message from Christy saying that she was out when they had all of the discussions regarding the changes last week.  She said that Valerie was correct in that you don't have to do the 6 month support group if you initated the online coaching by 3/19/09.  She also said that my paperwork was received and is being reviewed by a nurse.