Aetna - Cleveland

Hi Guys,

I've been lurking for a few weeks - what a nice bunch of folks on this board!

I have a question for anybody with Aetna:  Aetna requires either a 6 month physician supervised diet and exercise program or a 3 month "multidisciplinary" surgical preparatory regimen.  St. Vincents has such a program designed to meet Aetna's requirements, but the next session apparently doesn't start for a few months.  Also, St. Vincents program will be really difficult for me to do - it's far away (I'm an east-sider), I work full time and travel a lot for work so I don't even know that I can arrange to be here every Thursday for 12 straight weeks...  Did any of you use a different program in Cleveland to meet this requirement, and if so, where? I called Aetna, but they were supremely unhelpful.  I'd rather try to do the 3 month option if possible (it took me forever to get my courage up to do this at all, and now I just want to get on with it!)...

Thanks!

I was able to do the 3-month here in Dayton.  I don't understand why you would need to be ANYWHERE for 12 straight weeks.  The Aetna requirement calls for only 4 visits to each of the providers (doctor, nutritionist, and exercise physiologist)...

Lora

I have Aetna, and did the 3-month program at Akron City (Summa)Hospital.  It might be the same distance as St. Vincent's.  I highly recommend the program at Akron City.  It's a very comprehensive program, and all staff members know their jobs well.    I did not have to go every week for 12 weeks.  I had to complete prerequisites and visit with a doctor once a month for 3 months.

Here's a link:  http://www.summahealth.org/common/templates/article.asp?ID=1 3105

Good luck to you.

Thanks, Kim!

I had a long discussion with my PCP, and, with the assistance of a most helpful lady from this site, came up with a "do it yourself" plan - biweekly visits with the doctor (he's on site at my employer which is convenient), monthly visits with dietitian, a visit with a trainer, and biweekly behavior modification with counselor.  My PCP is terrific - very cooperative and willing to keep everything coordinated (per Aetna's requirements, apparently). 

First appointment is tomorrow morning!

Hi!  I have Aetna and I live in the Cleveland area too.  The Cleveland Clinic will help you with the 6 month physician supervised weight loss requirement.  I split my visits between the Cleveland Clinic (for nutrition and psych) and my primary care physician for the just-checking-my-progress visits.  I found it to be really easy that way.  Once my 6 months was up, I got copies of my physician's notes from the 4 or so appointments and gave them to Cleveland Clinic.  They compiled them with their notes and submitted the whole thing to Aetna.  Super easy.

I was also really impressed with the Cleveland Clinic's Bariatric unit.  Between the experience and professionalism of Dr. Schauer & the Cleveland Clinic, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to a friend.  Good luck on your WLS journey!

I have aetna and went through Akron City Bariatric with Dr. Wells there but I have another friend who just used her PCP and did the 3 month with him. She met with him 3 times (the program has to be 90 days between first and last appointments) and then after each meeting he would fax his notes over to Akron City and they would check and make sure they covered everything they thought aetna would need and call him if there was anything missing. I waited a month to get into Dr. Wells because I was nervous and wanted a sure thing even though my PCP is the same as my friends was and wish I had just went to my PCP and gotten done a month earlier. I LOVED Dr Wells though. The 3 month diet was simple..he gave me suggestions for diet and exercise and I followed his advice.