Kaiser Portland

I just got my referral from my PCP. I am a Kaiser Permanente Added Choice holder. Surgery is covered almost 100 percent. I was told it takes 6 months to a year to get a surgery date. I was wondering if anyone else went through this program. I was wondering why it takes so long to get a date?
I am also hoping for someone to share their experience. Thanks.

Hi there:

I also have Kaiser Permanente.  I had surgery on 8/22/2006. It took me 18 months to get from orientation to see the surgeon.  My husband insurance covered 100% of my surgery ( everything except the $5.00 co-pay and pain meds).  Depending on how much weight they want you to lose pre-op, usually it is 10%, they need you to do this to shrink your liver,. 

They also want you to go thru their 12 week freedom from diet class, You will also have several appt's with with Julie, ( the medical social worker) Brenda, ( the dietician) and Mary Lou Greenwood The director of Bariatric services.  After that, the review board will review your case, and you will then get an appt to see the surgeon..  Before you see the surgeon, they want to make sure you have all your pre-op labs done, mammogram and pap smear is up to date.

If you have anymore questions, feel free to e-mail me!

Peggy

I have Kaiser as well and started my WLS journey with them back in June of 07. I have jumped through the majority of the hoops that they require but am nowhere near the end of their requirements even after over a year. I finally just convinced them to give me a sleep apnea test and was told that I can expect another 5 week wait for them to process the results. They also initially told me to expect a surgery date after 6 months but honestly, that is entirely unrealistic with the Kaiser system.

Kaiser is a slow process but its pretty informative for someone going through it to get an RNY. I initially chose to get the RNY but have done some additional research and decided to have a DS instead (my own preference, not promoting either one over the other :). Kaiser doesn't offer a DS nor do they approve of it so I am having to go through the process of being approved for an RNY and then appeal to have my DS making my wait be a couple (or more) years instead of the typical 18 months.

Good luck to you and exercise your patience...your gonna need it :)

Just wanted to let folks know I also appreciate the Kaiser info.  Who is the surgeon there?

Hi Shadow:

One of the best surgeon's Kaiser has is David Moiel.  They also have a couple of others,   Andre Leger and Dr. Ludemann.  Dr. Moiel did my surgery and I have nothing but good stuff to say about him..  If I had my choice to do this all again, Dr. Moiel is the surgeon to go with.

Peggy

I am so glad to have a name. Kaiser can be such a big organization that it seems impresonal sometimes. I got my questionnaire and accpetance into the Obesity program. Now I am waiting to hear back. I sent it in but that was in the end of last week. I am so anxious to get going but I know I need to be patient. It is hard though.

I am currently participating in the bariatrics program at Kaiser Permanente. I have been working toward my surgery for about 10 months and finally have a date with my surgeon.

One thing I can say about the bariatrics program at Kaiser is that it is very thorough. They want to make sure you are prepared mentally and physically for surgery and have an extensive pre-op and post-op program.

There are many things you have to accomplish before you get to meet your surgeon.

Step 1: After your primary physician refers you, the severe obesity team reviews your medical records. You have to prove to them that you have made genuine attempts at weight loss for at least 6 months, which must be supervised by a medical professional. This can include Weigh****chers if you have documentation.

Step 2: If accepted into the program, you will receive a long packet of paperwork to fill out. This is a very important step as they will use the questionairre as a guideline of your preparedness for surgery. Fill out the questionairre thoroughly and promptly get it back to them.

Step 3: Attend a group orientation meeting. You will be sent notification of the meeting date and time. It is by appointment only; Mary Lou Greenwood will coordinate this with you.

Step 4: If you have not already done so, attend either the 5-week or 12-week Weight Management class. I did the 5-week class in Salem. You will be required to do this, so you might as well get started now. Start keeping a food and exercise journal. This is highly important as the nutritionist and social worker will request to see it. They not only want you to lose weight, but to change your lifestyle. This is the step that often delays surgery. You must be willing to make changes and prove to the staff that you are working at it. Documentation is essential!!

Step 5: After you've completed the class, call Mary Lou to schedule your next group meeting with the social worker (or maybe it was the nutritionist, I don't recall) and physical therapist. They will go into more detail about healthy eating, emotional challenges, and physical activity.

Step 6: Call Mary Lou to schedule a one-on-one meeting with the social worker and nutritionist. This is where they will look at your food and activity journal. You will set goals at this meeting. Depending on your goals, you could meet with them numerous times. I set very clear and attainable goals for myself, so this process went quickly for me. I only had to meet with them twice before getting my approval for blood work. You might need to see a physical therapist as well, depending on your levels of activity.

Step 7: When the social worker, nutritionist and physical therapist feel you are ready, they will notify Mary Lou to schedule your lab work. This is when things started to move quickly for me. The day after my last meeing with the social worker and nutritionist, Mary Lou sent me a letter stating that she had ordered numerous blood tests and an abdominal ultrasound to check my gallbladder. Make sure you are current on all your routine screenings. They will verify this with you to make sure everything is current.

Step 8: The bariatric team will meet to discuss your readiness for surgery. You are not present at this meeting. They will look at all your information and decide whether or not you are ready. If they determine you are physically and mentally ready for surgery, you will get a call from Mary Lou to schedule a meeting with your surgeon. I meet my surgeon tomorrow. Woohoo!

I'm not sure what comes next, I'm hoping I'll get a surgery date tomorrow when I meet my surgeon. My goal is to have the RNY done before the end of the year. 

It has been a long journey thus far and plenty of hard work. As for how long the process takes, it depends on the individual. Some people have been in the program for two years and are far behind me in their progress. If you are willing to work hard, be an advocate for yourself and do what is expected of you in a timely manner, you can expect to have the surgery within a year. I don't know of anyone who had it within 6 months at Kaiser, simply because of the scheduling of appointments and thorough approach. However, they say it is possible.

I wish you the best of success with your endeavor and will keep you posted on my progress.
 

Hi there:

I had my surgery thru Kaiser.  It took me 18 months to jump thru all their hoops.  After you meet with the surgeon, it does'nt take too long to get an appointment date, it depends on how busy they are.  Who is your surgeon?  I had Dr. Moiel,  He is awesome, very truthful and honest, and lays it out on the line.  I had surgery on August 22, 2006, I started out at 526 lbs and am down 301.5.  I feel marvelous!

Good luck, and please keep us posted.

Peggy