How do I avoid my insurance denying my surgery

LOL...boy is that a loaded question! 1. Make sure your insruance plan does not specifically exclude the surgery. If they do, then you will not have much luck in this process. 2. Call the insurance company and find out what the specific requirements are for approval. If there is a secondary company that does the surgery approval, speak to them and get details. Warning...if they say, for instance, you need a 6 month supervised diet...make sure you find out the exact requirements. ie: Does it have to be physician supervised or can a nutrionalist do it. Do I need to be seen every calendar month or every 30 days or just at the beginning and end. What sort of documentation will you need to verify this. Ask questions so you don't get it wrong. 3. IMPORTANT: Record the time and date you called along with the name of the person you spoke with. Keep this written down and have it available in case what they tell you differs from what happens. 4. Follow every requirement to the letter. For example. If they insist on you having a 6 month supervised diet with documentation, go to your primary care and tell him/her what you have to do. Make sure they take good notes and try and follow the plan. Go back every month (don't miss a month) and see your doctor, get weighed, make sure notes are taken. 5. Document everything. Failed weight loss attempts, calls to Dr's, calls to insruance co's, Dr visits, etc. 6. Most of the practices have a specialist that deals with insurance companies. They generally know the ins and outs of each one. Find that person at your practice and talk to them. They can usually give you good advice. 7. Expect to be denied and expect to have to fight for your bennefits. If you are denied, don't get down. Take all the evidence and documentation and fight back. If they told you what you needed, and you followed it to the letter, then you should get approved. If not, fight! Good luck. I found this part to be the most stressful part of the whole process. Just stick with it and document, document, document. Dave

My insurance company denied me the first time. I thought they would make me do a 3-6 month supervised diet and exercise thing first but I sent in an appeal letter that I got off the internet and tweaked to make it personal to me and they approved me!! Don't get yourself too worried before you even know, who needs that extra stress! :)