have a date!

Scheduled for VSG surgery on 3/25/15.  This passed Monday was my first day using the Apap machine (similar to CPap) I go fory pre-op testing this Monday, the 9th. My papers have yet to be submitted to my ins company & it seems my surgeon's secretary doesn't feel she needs to tell me when this is done, let alone if I get approved. Also does my pre-op paper work need to be submitted as well?? Please advise as this secretary isn't too informative (she's new) 

My surgeon wouldn't set a date until the insurance approval was confirmed. But you have every right to call your insurance company to check on all steps that the doc's office secretary makes. I found that this helped my case greatly! My secretary was great and thorough, but also quite busy working on several cases and my insurance approval was not a slam dunk. So, every time she let me know that I made it through a hurdle, I called the insurance company to check on it. They have deadlines to adhere to and by knowing I was checking in, that kept them all on their toes. The insurance company has its own requirements for the insurance approval and the pre-op testing is more so for the surgeon, the anesthesia and the hospital knowing everything they need about you. Your insurance company most likely has all of the requirements for bariatric surgery approval in a document available online. Mine did! I studied those 31 pages and had all of my ducks in a row! If you are missing just one little thing, the insurance approval may be declined - doesn't mean they won't approve you eventually, but they may just require more documents. The insurance people can tell you on the phone if the papers submitted are complete OR if they are waiting for something else - I even got details sent to me in letters - they must inform you, they are required. And that will allow you to stay on top of the secretary in the doc's office who is surely handling many cases! I found lots of loop holes that were being missed that I caught by staying on top of it and it just takes phone calls. Don't be afraid to be a nudge. I do think that if you are on the surgeon's schedule, that secretary should be on top of your case! But I do know that you can make sure the insurance company isn't missing anything! It's always good to check and then they know you aren't just sitting back and waiting!

Best wishes! Having a date is the best feeling! Congrats! 

Thanks for your inpu . I've done all the ins requirements is: sleep study, endoscopy, nutrition visits & psych evaluations, pPCP clearance & recommendation letter. I met with my surgeon on the 26th and I was informed that he wanted me on a sleep machine as a precaution, got it, using ita . Only thing left is my pre op before surgery.  

Hey Erika my Doctor scheduled me for surgery on 3/23/15 and I'm going thru the same thing u are  the secretary hasn't submitted anything to my insurance so I called my surgeon but he told me not to worry and to start my liquid diet on Monday the 9th hopefully  everything will work out for both of us .......... Good luck with your surgery on the 25th

Hey Rich, fingers crossed that we get approved and all is a go.  Not sure why these secretaries feel that its okay to play with our emotions. This is a nail biting situation!  I go for my preop blood work on the 9th and start my liquid diet on 23rd. 2 days onl . Good luck!