Hello world! I am a brand newbie!

OK this is my first post to these forums- though I have been stalking them for months and months. Lol. I had my first consultation with a wls doc, and they submitted it to insurance. Insurance (BCBS Texas ANTHEM) came back in two days and said that I needed to complete 6 months of diet monitored by a doctor or dietician, a psych evaluation and that's it. Is this considered an approval? And if so...6 months? How is the fact that I have been on a diet since I was 12 and am now 41 not enough? What should I think now? What is there to expect? I have an appointment with my gp tomorrow morning to see if she will back me at all since I just dished out $400 on Qsymia in March and April (which did absolutely nothing) and have kept a food journal for the last year almost daily. Can you get around that requirement? Why would they do that? Is a BMI of 43 not enough? Please lemme know your thoughts! I can't wait to be where some of you are and I cannot wait to become a very active member on here!! You need extra support? I got you, babies!! Thank you in advance for all your help. I know you guys have great advice to give.

Brandi

Hey! Hi I'm new too! Just joined today. I had my first consult in Victoria BC last week.

If you have documented proof that you have been working with a doctor to lose weight for the last 6 months, it sounds like you should hound your insurance company until they accept that you don't need another 6 months. If you hounding them is not enough, get your surgeon's office to hound them!

I can't help you with your insurance questions, as I am from Ontario, and our sytem is very different from the States, but I wanted to wish you good luck and welcome to the boards. Its a very supportive and informative forum and website over all.

Good luck with your GP visit.

Insurance companies have set rules about the requirements, and doctors are very familiar with navigating and working with them. I hope they can help you. On the other hand, if the diet you have been on with your doctor does not count for the approval process, here is advice from a new sleeved... take the time. This is a major life changoing and non reversible process. Use whatever time you have to spend on getting approval to work with your body, learn about what post op is like etc. I wanted to be in a hurry too but had a four month span with doctor and dietician, and think it helped prepare me for some challenges. I do hope it is faster for you, truly. This forum is a very useful tool, and you can learn much from the veterans who kindly share their wisdom. I especially read a lot of post op postings to know what was ahead, for example coping with two week liquid diet before surgery, pains, side effects, etc. you will get there.

Welcome! 6 months of monitored diet is totally normal for insurance companies. And if that's what they require, it's unlikely that you can get around it sadly.

In good news, you can use this time to work on building good habits for post-op. Weigh and log everything you eat, work on getting liquid calories out of your diet and drinking 64+ ounces of water a day, find a therapist you click with, etc, etc. :)

^^^ This.

In addition, I tell this to all the pre-op folks.. enjoy the ride. Six months seems like along time, but before you know it you'll be six months post op and posting about your progress.

A word of warning (Not necessarily for you, but for all the newbies reading this):

There seems to be two eventualities, from what I've observed- Either $WLSPatient comes to share their success, or they come to stress about why they aren't losing anything. After $WLSPatient is grilled about their eating habits, $WLSPatient reveals a "modest" diet of mostly high carb items (banana, fruits, mashed potatoes), without portion size information. $WLSPatient then stops replying to their post, and disappears entirely.

End result being get used to weighing and tracking your meals. Download MyFitnessPal on a mobile device, and familiarize yourself with it.

OP: Just out of curiosity.... Are you a programmer by any chance?

I have noticed this trend as well. Or $WLSPatient is unwilling to share what they're eating at all - which is always a good sign that they're eating poorly and know it.

A strong case for finding a therapist to work on the mental stuff when you have the time prior to surgery. That way you can try to avoid self-sabotage after surgery!

Nope not a programmer! ? but thank you for your post. It's just frustrating. You know how it is... Immediate gratification takes too long.