Approval received: Surgeon got liscense suspended

After a long long fight with the insurance company I used the Lindstrom group to advocate for my approval of a Lap Band removal and Bypass. I got my approval finally after two denials and then a few days later I found out my surgeon lost his lisence to practice. My approval is only good for 90 days and 60 have lapsed. I have another surgeon trying to fast track me through his program and I am freaking. Anyone have any similar experiences?

The insurance can always approve another set of 90 days. Considering the cir****tances they shouldn't have a problem doing that and if they do point out to them that they had a doctor that evidently wasn't very good approved for surgery so they owe it to you to find a competent one! This was probably a blessing in disguise, you want an excellent doctor to do a revision! Best of luck to you!

Thank you Hislady. I knew it was a blessing but goodness. I was so close to having my revision and now I have to qualify under another program. So at minimum at least another few more months. And in the meantime my insurance will change. I'm going from UHC to BCBS. Its so discouraging. What's more shocking is that the surgeon was the one that performed my Lap Band in 2007. He apparently got into some trouble thereafter.... I just pray everyday that I am able to get this done and start living life again. I have put off travel, shopping, homebuying for the last year for this. I wanted to be completely focused on my recovery and progress. My sister and all of our friends took a trip that I put off thinking i'd be recovering. That was 9 months ago. After 14 months of doing this and seeing that another several are needed I am steadily losing steam.

Michelle, I think that you dodged a bullet. There are many, many surgeons that perform lap surgery. I'm so glad that you didn't have an open surgery, unless it was necessary. You will get an authorization extension. Best of luck. Keep us posted. 

I got approval with one dr and started over with another.  My approval was good for 10 days but the dr office said insurance just gives u a time limit but usually extends it. Im sure the new Dr office knows how to handle it. Not 2 worry 

Thank you all for the kind words. I really appreciate it. I have been through it for quite some time now. As a means of staying positive and productive I have started a blog detailing what I have been through and what is to come. It has been an awesome release.