Question about 6mts supervised diet

I just found out today that my insurance does require me to have 6mts of documented weight loss.  I think I may have it in my medical file, but I'm not sure.  My question is...  Does anyone know if there is a way around not having to have it?  My blood work just came back, and my cholestoral levels are off the charts.  I didn't think they were going to be as bad as they are but wow they are extremely high.  Anyway, I really would like to find away around the 6 month documented weight loss, and any help on that would be greatly appreciated.

My suggestion is not to take the "short cuts."  Although you may be able to submit to your insurance company for approval, they will try to find any way they can not to approve the claim.  If you have the documentation that they require and "fit in" to their standards then they will have no reason to deny your claim.  I know how you feel, I felt the same way when I learned that I had to wait another 6 months after I made up my mind to have the surgery, but start now and it will be done in no time.  Good luck on your journey!

I agree with Lisa.  Trying to "circumvent" any of the process could result in a denial, and we don't want that!!!

Trust me, there will be SO much to keep you occupied in the way of tests, paperwork, etc., that the six months will go by pretty quickly.

Also, it will help from a physical standpoint.  If you can lose weight pre-op, it shows the surgeon and the insurance company that you're committed to it AND it will help shrink your liver, which needs to be finessed during the surgery.

All in good time!!  It'll be here before you know it!!

Good luck,

Tia

Hi there. I was told the ONLY way to get around the 6 mos thing in Maryland is if you have Federal Blue Cross Insurance. ;o( Sorry! But if you have done Jenny Craig or Weigh****chers and you have that 6 mos already then let your surgeon know. :o) GOOD LUCK!!! ~Jilly~

Thank you everyone for your words of wisdom.  I'm a very inpatient person and also very head strong lol.  I'm so ready for this change, and hearing that really put a damper on things.  I'm going to look at it as a bump in the road of this journey.  My primary care says she has 6 months documented, but it was 3 years ago.  My insurance says it has to be in the last 2 years.  I have all of my appts set up for the next 2  months, and I was just hoping that I could have my surgery by December.  What a Christmas present that would be!  However, it looks like I will be looking at March or April.  I'm just so worried that I'm going to get frustrated, but as long as I have everyone on here to keep me going I think I will be ok.  Wish me luck!

It will all fall into place honey. I was just like that when I first went to the seminar. I wanted it like YESTERDAY! And I was so excited when I heard that my insurance Fed BCBS did NOT require the 6 mos weight loss stuff. I had such an advantage on everyone else in the seminar....OR SO I THOUGHT! No such luck. That was in early June and I could not get an appt to see the surgeon until Sept 15th!!! The time has went by really quickly though and I am hoping on the 15th he sets my date. I did my shrink visit and now I need a date so I can set a sleep study and a physical and I am good to roll. But it all takes time and WILL FALL INTO PLACE! ;o) I am IMPATIENT as can be and headstrong too but I realized this will be a lifelong change so slow and steady is GOOD for me. :o) ~Jilly~

I am in the middle of the six month supervised diet now....I have about 3 more months to go....I have my mental evaluation this upcoming monday and my NUT visit the end of october...I am hoping to have surgery by the first of the year....

have you met with your surgeon yet?  if there are shortcuts that can be taken that are safe to take, they will know how to take them.  for example, i only had to do three months of supervised weightloss as long as i could show a two year history of weight gain and loss.  luckily, i have a physical with my doctor every year and i'm also weighed at each sick appointment, so my primary care records showed a patterned of gain and loss.  also, the "three months" really meant "three appointments," so i only had to weight two months before my package was sent for approval. 

you basically just have to work with your surgeon's office because honestly... nothing is going to happen until they submit it to insurance and they aren't going to submit it until they feel certain they are most likely to get an approval.

I had to go through the 6 months as well.  I am impatient as well, but am grateful now for having gone through that 6 months.  I saw the nutritionist every 4 to 6 weeks for 6 months to satisfy that requirement.  I learned a LOT during that time, and managed to lose 24 pounds in the process.  So, I know what it's like to want it now, but I wouldn't trade my new found knowledge now for anything.  I just can't wait to have the surgery!!  Good luck to you!

I'm going to call my surgeon's office in the morning, and clarify if it actually has to be 6 months or 6 visits.  My PCP has tons of records for the past ten years of weight loss and weight gain, and it def shows how I have gained over 100 lbs. in ten years.  UGH!!!!  That just totally makes me so mad at myself when I think about how much I have gained and how much I weigh!