How long ?

I've been reading some of the past post trying to learn as much as I can about this journey. My big question is how long does it take from the time ones starts the process until surgey? I just want to get on with life and do not want to drag this out, but it sounds like it takes a long time for all of the paper work and approvals to go through the system. Help I'm confused.

Hey Mike...That's something everyone wants to know, but it varies from each insurance to the next. I've read about people having to fight with their insurance companies for years, and so dreaded that type of wait, but I only had to wait 5 days for approval from my company. Every situation is different. You might post what insurance company you have and see if there's anyone else out there that can share their experience with the same company you have. I found that a daily call to my insurance company and a few emails pushed me through alot faster, so sometimes persistant follow up can help!!! I wish you the best with your journey...keep posting so we'll know were you are. You can always count on someone here at OH to be helpful, so keep coming back...there people are WONDERFUL!!! Best wishes!!! ~~~Shari

The longest part of my trip was to make the decision in the first place. I spent about four months doing that. I was approved by insurance within six days of applying (I think my BMI scared them). I waited a month and a half for surgery. Of course, that's when the fun started. I made up for all that with two weeks in the hospital after surgery...so that was a pretty good delay. Otherwise, things went very smoothly on my end. Eric C.

took me 3 years of reading this board over 2 anyway....then i fought with cigna and lucky i was able to switch ins co's and that was about 20 months from the time it was first submitted till surgery....There is a God and I had the surgery...

i got rejected on my first attempt for surgery approval....now i have too do a 18 month supervised diet program thru my doctor before they will accept my applications for surgery again....im doing that process right now...I was very hurt and disappointed by their decisions esp when your walking around 150lbs overweight and a bmi of over 50 something......but ne ways....everyones journeys are different...ive talked too ppl who applied and got accepted within 1 week with NO problems from insurance companys at all......so good luck....do a consultation, make your decision and go from there

Depends on your insurance approval...once done...depends on the doctor's schedule...some aren't as booked as others. But if you think you are impatient now....wait until about 30 days out from surgery....ya gonna learn what impatience is :rofl: Everyday you will wake-up asking "Why isn't all the weight gone yet??????"...that's why ya see people post that they are dissappointed they only lost 8 pounds in a month :-D.....and look out when it's only 2-3 pounds :rofl: But that 12-18 month post-op takes FOREVER to get to....and the impatience is just grueling!!!! Happy journey to ya!!! :wave: RNY 7/28/04 296/147/140 Seven silly pounds to go****sigh****

Certainly varies a lot by company. For me I'll be having surgery just 13 months after I decided to do it (woudl have been a year but their schedule and mine conflicted so I had to delay it a month). 8 of those months were spent doing the supervised diet my insurance requires, it was just over 1 month from the time my papers were submitted until I got my approval, 1 month was the month of the schedule conflict, 1 month was the clinic's required classes and then the last 1 month was just the surgeon's full schedule. In all honesty it FLEW by...surgery is only 6 days away and I can still remember sitting at the informational seminar like it was yesterday.

Again thanks for the feedback. I guess I will start the journey tomorrow.Will let you know how Iget along. I just want to get-r-done