New medicare process

Hello folks,

Just wanted to know if any of you knows about the new medicare process...so pre approval is no longer necessary meaning if Dr. B or Dr. S approve and see that you need the surgery- then you are automaticly approved right?

I added myself to Dr. B's wait list a couple of years ago when it was the old way- I was already a patient of Dr. Mallet since I have pre existing condition, plus I am a patient of an Gastro specialist for another pre existing condition- but an internist is not longer required am I right?

Also- I wonder if the six months of dieting is still mandatory. The reason I asked is that I have followed many diets and was successfull- once I lost 80 pounds on my own. The sad part is I gained every thing back.

The reason I am getting this surgery is not just to lose weight- it's to keep it off. I have yo-yo'd my whole life. I just never feel full and I need this tool to be my "drill sargent" to let me know I have eaten enough, or that I'm full.

I mean I'm afraid that if I dedicate myself to dieting for six months i will lose too much weight and not qualify for the surgery and then in another three years I'll be right back here again.  With enough dicipline anyone can lose weight by following the 1200 pounds diet & the nutrition guide, but it's to keep it off that's hard. I gained everything back very slowly so at first I didn't even realize.

Any assistance you can provide me would be great!

Thanks
M

This surgery is not a fix....yes it will help you to loose weight but it is still up to you to exercise and diet......it will not keep the weight off unless you work with it.......you can loose 100lbs in 6 months with gastric bypass and not loose anymore but in order to keep it off you still have to exercise or you WILL gain it back.......so for you to say you need the surgery to help keep the weight off well it may not work for you....it is still up to you to keep it off.......this will only help you along the way

Maybe I was misunderstood. I do not expect this tool to be a miracle or to do any of the work for me. I do not expect to lose all my weight and then splurge on milkshakes for the rest of the time expecting the weight to stay off.


I don't want to live to eat but eat to live. I was simply explaining my struggle. This tool has to be a great addition to dieting than simply dieting alone, otherwise we would just all diet!

It is a known fact that most people who lose while dieting gain all their weight back, plus an additional 20 pounds.

I posted the news that the process changed last Ferbruary or March. I have never heard of a 6 month diet.  Pre op diet depends on the procedure you are having. I am having the lap band and I have to go on a very strict diet for the last 2 weeks before the surgery. If you don't lose, surgery is postponed. This diet is to shrink your liver.  I was speaking to someone who had a bypass and she didn't have to diet at all.

I think the six month diet was the old medicare way.
I know one girl who was under the supervision of a dietician for six months to attempt to lose weight on their own. I believe this was a pre quesite for medicare.. I could be wrong.

a co worker recently went on the two week diet, she had to drink optifast for two weeks straight. There were times when she looked frustrated, but the good news is that she pulled through, lost 13 pounds and said that with Optifast you don't feel hungry because that's the worst part!

Was your friend with Dr. B? the booklet he gave me said a full liquid diet.

Hello, yes she is a patient of Dr. Beausoleil and she had band surgery on Sept 16th.

The last two weeks of the surgery she had to drink 3 or 4 optifast shakes a day and water. That was all that she was allowed. You have the choice betwee chocolate and Vanilla.

My other friend had her band in 2005- her last two weeks she had to follow a strict 1200 calorie diet with actual food.

I don't know if you have the choice or not.

I guess what they tell you is individually tailored.

This is also what I am assuming. They decide what is the best course of action for you.

there was a time when they didn't use the optifast but now that they have adopted it, that's what you have to follow.  The only option they give you is that if you can't afford optifast $220 for 2 weeks, then you can do slimfast but not as good results.  These are your only choices.  They were very firm about this.  The meeting with the dietician was over an hour.  i was exhausted after that.  Very rigid rules, and this is to stress the seriousness of following the process.  It's a huge eye opener that this is a very real permanent life change. but a positive one.