Supervised weight loss with doc or nut, opinions please!

Quick question - looking for people's opinions on this one.  I know no answer will be the "right" answer, but feedback would be helpful =)

My insurance requires a 3 month supervised weight loss.  Originally I was told that I needed to do it with my family doctor and scheduled an appointment for 8/26.  I called Dr. Brader's office the other day to have them send me the paperwork for what my family doc needed to know regarding the supervised weight loss requirements.  When I called, they checked with the NUT and she said that I could do the supervised weight loss with the her (at the surgeon's office).

Here's my dilemma: Doc wont have as much knowledge and will be following a worksheet.  Doc will also charge a co-pay for me to meet with them to follow up... but Doc can get me in 2.5 weeks earlier than the NUT.  NUT will be in direct contact with the surgeon, I'll become more familiar with the center, but will delay my 3 month supervised process by 2.5 weeks!!! (not sure if NUT charges a co-pay, did any of you pay a co-pay for your NUT visits?)

Which should I go with, NUT or Doc?

All and any opinions are welcome - just looking to see what others think. =)
Melissa

Hi, Melissa:

The seminar was excellent... I'm glad I was on this site for the past 3 weeks before I attended the seminar.  It's an awful lot of information to absorb in an hour and a half.  Dr. Brader said the exercise equipment is available to any body in the program who wants to use it - at no charge!  I'm meeting with my PCP only because I thought that is what my insurance required.  If you'd really like to meet with NUT, I wouldn't let 2.5 weeks stop you.  It's not that much more time and next year at this time - it won't matter.  Go with what you feel more comfortable or is more convenient for you.  I think it is great that you are telling people.... I haven't yet.  A pastor friend of mine is having RNY on Sept 9th. I told him because I didn't have to explain anything.

Liz

Melissa,
While I don't live in your neck of the woods, I'd like to offer my opinion.
My family doctor also offered to do the supervised diet.  After careful consideration, I chose to go with the nutritionist at the surgeon's office.  It was without-a-doubt, 100% guaranteed, the best decision!!!!!!!!!!

My family doctor knew/knows next to nothing about the surgery, preparation & recovery.  When you visit with your NUT, if it's anything like the program at my hospital (St. Margarets), you also gain a ton of valuable information!  My center had a 6 part program teaching patients everything from "What to expect in the hospital", to "Keys for successfully keeping off the weight" to "the best menu choices at several area restaurants".  Not only was the NUT informative, but meeting the other people in the class was priceless. 

I highly recommend, so that you are 100% clear on what to expect from the surgery and the rest of your life, that you visit your surgeon's office for the weigh-ins.

(Oh, just more background info, my Surgeon's office didn't charge any co-pays for the visits either and the hospital was an hour drive from our house...so the money factor equaled out.)

Just my 2 cents!
Let us know which way you go!
Pat

I did my diet with my PCP.  I like that I did that because it not only taught her about what I will be going through it will help her treat me in the future.  I was able to have the support at Lancaster and start bringing my PCP up to speed. 

I didn't know I had the option. I saw this in my policy <"preferably unaffiliated with the bariatric surgery program"> so I'd check with your insurance company first. If they give you the thumbs up, I'd go with whatever you think is best.

If you have a choice, go with the NUT. They will be able to cater to your needs alot better. But have them forward thier progress notes to your PCP so he has record of whats going on.

I personally had to do it with a NUT. My insurance didn't cover it. So I had to pay out of pocket for the NUT. But I figured a few hundreds bucks was worth it.

You need to do what you are most comfortable with.

I would say call your insurance to be SURE they will accept you going to a NUT. I wasted 6 months and hundreds of dollars and then was told it had to be with a physician; just be sure. My insurance also did NOT cover the NUT. So again, check with your insurance. Get it in writing if you can.

Update for everyone!

I've decided to work with both my PCP and NUT!  Here's why:

Called the insurance company and they said I had to submit a letter in writing to get the pre-approval requirements and this could take up to or more than a month to hear back on... well I don't have a month to wait!  Their other suggestion was that I work with my surgeon's office directly and get the pre-approval requirements through them, they said they'd have access to it.

When I called the surgeon's office, the front desk staff told me 3 different things, 3 different times... so that makes me extra careful.  I'm going to cover all of my bases by doing it all.  First I was told it had to be through my PCP and was not something that the NUT handled - then I was told because mine was only 3 months, I should work through the NUT and not go through my PCP - now today I was told to go through my PCP because no one was "for sure". 

Not really sure how I feel about all of that, but at least I know I'll have double the appointments and double the advice and then insurance should double approve - right?!?

First PCP appointment for supervised weight loss is 9/4, first NUT appointment is 9/14.  Either way, the 3 month wait will be over by the middle of December.

Thanks for everyone's feedback - it really helped me ask a lot of questions - also helped me realize I wasn't getting straight answers, so I'm going to double up from here on out when possible and keep posting questions to you all!

THANKS! =)
Melissa