Any St Louis members using CIGNA?

Greetings! Anyone from in or around St. Louis here, especially with CIGNA insurance? I'm just beginning this journey, have my 1st Dr appt. on the 15th, and doing my research. Can't find any threads here discussing St. Louis area surgeons. Would love to know who you are and hear your experiences. Thanks Karen

Karen, I am just starting out on my Journey as well. I also have Cigna but I have PPO. I am going through the New Start program and out of thier doctors I have chosen Dr. Norbert Richardson. He is also on Cigna's preffered list for bariatric surgery. I have my phsyc. eval this thursday and then when that gets turned in I go for my tsh level and then keep fingers crossed that everything else goes will. Thats all I have left to do so I hope things dont keep going on forever. Took me forever to find a phsycologist that except Cigna too. Good Luck! Jai P.s. I live in Imperial but use to live in the Maplewood Area.

Hi Jai, I used to live in Imperial many years ago. I was a teenager and stayed with my aunt and uncle in a mobile home park that was brand new at that time. Now I'm in North county. Thanks for responding. You're further along than me, I'll be seeing my primary physician on Monday to tell him I want to pursue this and hopefully get his referral. I don't anticipate any hesitation on his part, though, as he is always trying to warn me how bad my diabetes and other problems are. Now I'm so confused and wondering if I was given wrong information. Is New Start through DePaul? I contacted DePaul via email and a woman called me back and told me they didn't take Cigna except as out-of-network, which means I'd have to pay 60%. She invited me to a WLS info seminar anyway, that was to be held last Thursday, but I didn't go because of that. Instead, I called the number on my coverage card and spoke to the CIGNA rep about what kind of coverage I had (90% for in-network) and I asked her for some names of bariatric surgeons who took CIGNA in St. Louis. She gave me 4 names, and ever since I have been looking and looking for their websites or their hospital/program, but i have not run across their names anywhere on any of the WLS sites I have visited. They're certainly not here on OH's list of MO bariatric surgeons. I had planned to ask my primary physician about these 4 names this coming Monday. I think she may have given me wrong information? maybe she thought I said geriatrics? haha! Anyway, I'll get the ball rolling and it sorted out hopefully with my own doctor Monday. Good luck with your Psych evaluation tomorrow. Maybe we can keep in touch and cheer each other along! Karen

Karen, With my cigna I am using Dr. Norbert Richardson through the new start program and st.alexius hospital.. their phone # is 1-800-245-1431. Christina and pamala are the ones i have been talking to so far but they all have been nice. And my cigna covers Dr. richardson completely except for the 250 $'s... woohoo!! So I would definatly check him out! Good luck! and yes definatly we can stay incontact! My eval went well and he said he would send it through monday morning. So now all i have left is my tsh level weeeeeeee!!! and ofcourse the final approval.. Jai