Please help!!!

I have an appointment to see my surgeon next week. He wants me to bring in my 6 month supervised weight loss notes from my PCP....My problem is my PCP is asking me what the notes should contain besides my weight. I don't know!! He's the doctor!! Does anyone have a letter from their PCP or a standard form that can be filled out that the insurance company will accept? Please help!! My PCP is

Hi Kendra, Well...at each appointment, my Dr. put in notes about what he suggested and how well or poorly I responded the previous month. He did weight and BP. He even started me on a new med about half way through. When the insurance Co. asked for proof of the diet, he initially just sent a letter that had two paragraphs. They immediately said they needed his notes AND a letter that stated he approved me for the surgery with my co-morbid conditions. He then photo copied the notes I mentioned above and sent another letter. That worked. They stopped asking for information from him and then wanted other things (mostly pre-op testing). One thing that was mentioned to me early in the process was to make sure your PCP knew why you were doing the diet and make sure they kept good notes. I am guessing you did not get that word!.... I wish you the best with this. The insurance part is probably the worst part of the whole process. Take care, Dave

Kendra - Not sure if this will help, but maybe it's worth a shot: I would imagine that the notes would specifically document what you tried, i.e., Weigh****chers, Slimfast, etc., and your losses/gains for that month. Also, if you talked to your PCP about any "emotional" problems that may have contributed to your good/bad eating that month, include that, too. I would also guess your BP, medications, etc. If you've kept a food journal, make sure you take copies of that, too. Your doctor could also detail your comorbidities - that's always a "big" one with insurance companies, particularly if you don't "weigh enough!!!" When I first went to see my surgeon, I took a letter (that I ended up not needing), detailing how being obese had affected my physical and mental being. The shortness of breath, sweating, not being able to fit in places, etc. You get the idea. Well, HTH and good luck!! Tia

Kendra, Several people I know - kept/reconstructed their OWN journal/log of the various weight loss remedies and used these journals/logs as additional helpful documentation. The point is, yes, the official document says "Dr. supervised", and that is absolutly the ultimate - however, I strongly suggest that you construct your OWN journal - with entries such as: Jan 2000 - Mar 2000 - Jenny Craig - Starting weight xxx lost nn pounds April 2000 - July - Atkins starting weight xxxx lost nn pounds etc etc etc This shows the extent tof your personal attempts as well. ANY additional information that you can produce, including pictures of before/after - logs of weight loss, or other progress charts/graphs etc are always useful to include -(copies only of course). Some people use cancelled checks to see when they paid, some people go back to credit card records. I agree with Dave - the insurance part seems to be the most frustrating portion. Good Luck -J-

Hi Kendra I didnt have to have a supervised diet but the insurance I had when i started the process needed a letter from my PCP of what other diets I tried in the past. Not sure how she worded it bu My insurance changed and they didnt ask for that but it was in the paperwork they sent to it. I agree with everyone that says this is the most frustrating part of the whole thing. I wish you te best and keep us posted on our progress Kelly

Hi Kendra, Sorry, I didn't have to jump through that hoop but you have gotten some good advice from others on here. Just wanted to wish you the best in getting everything together for your surgeon. I know it can be very frustrating but it is well worth it in the end, trust me on that! Take care, take a deep breath and it will all come together in the end! ~Heather