? on letter to Ins. ****BS

Has anyone been told by CCBS/St V's that it will take them 2-3 weeks to write a letter to the insurance company?? I was in for my consult a week ago today and called yesterday to check to see how things were going and they told me that it would take 2-3 weeks to write a letter to the insurance company. Doesn't this seem like a long time?? Wouldn't they have some kind of form letter since they write these all the time? I saw Dr. Ben-Meir and didn't need any additional tests, and my insurance doesn't really require anything to get approved (UHC Select Plus POS - SBC). This is an easy one for them.... I guess I am just a little upset since when I was there, my case manager was a little rude with me....I asked to use the restroom before watching their "movie" before you see the surgeon and she says "can't you just wait 10 minutes??". I have to use the restroom regularly and it is anxiety related, so obviously this didn't help problems at this point. This is a very sensitive point for me and she hit it right on the button. I just wish I could have been treated better by my case manager. I am scared to think about it if I have to go for follow-ups there. If this continues, I will email the director. I think the world of Dr. Ben-Meir (he is awesome), and that is the only reason I am going through CCBS now. If it wasn't for him, I think I might have gone looking elsewhere... Am I the only one who feels like this?? Thanks, Joni

Hi Joni. I had a similar situation with my surgeon's office. It was taking them forever to get my letter done and then they got smart with me for calling in about it. I was terribly offended and went as far as calling other surgeons to see who could get me in. When I called back to my office to tell them I was going somewhere for a second opinion I was told that insurance had already approved me so I just let it go. I am really happy I did now because I love my surgeon. I find that office staff everywhere tends to be a little callused to our situation and feelings. My advise is to have confidence in your surgeon and try to ignore the rudeness of the office staff. I also had concerns about what kind of service I would get post-op. I did bring this to the office manager's attention and I felt better knowing that they knew my concerns. Good luck! Shellie

Shellie, Luckily, my surgeon is great!! I would definitely be looking elsewhere, if it wasn't for him. I am trying to focus on who & what really matters for my surgery. As long as the surgeon is great, I should not worry...but as you know there is a lot more to it than that. I see you just had surgery....congrats!! How are you feeling?? I cannot wait to join you on the losing side!! Best wishes for a fast recovery.... Joni

My doctor told me he could do the surgery in less than 2 weeks on my first visit with him. I do think 3 weeks is a bit long. You need to call them up and ask them why it takes so long. Tell them this waiting around is very hard on you. Maybe even ask to talk to someone else. Take Care Best Wishes Barb

Joni, I had surgery thru CCBS. I had Dr. Sonpal. I believe it did take a few weeks to get the ball rolling. It will all be worth it in the end. I had a great experience at St. V's Hospital. I had a different case worker as i had a different surgeon, however if the rudeness continues, speak up. As far as follow ups, I had one ar 3 weeks post op and again at 6 months, didn't deal much with case worker after that. Mostly nurses and nutritionists. Good Luck 346/239/170

That IS a long time-and with UHC all it takes is a phone call to their care notification department to get the ball rolling. If they require additional clinicals they will call the office for them, but a lot of times it's just height, weight, bmi, and co-morbidities. I would call your office back since they just need to call UHC.