Doc wont give me a referral

The hospitals near me offer wls seminars. The staff there can help you with the insurance part. But agree that you need a new PCP if referral is the only way. The was docs can help you there too. Doesn't she have any other patients who've gone through wls??

Does your insurance require a referral from your PCP? If not, many Bariatric surgeons and/or centers do not require a referral from your PCP; you can just call and make an appointment, or, better yet, attend a seminar to begin the process.

I am looking to have it covered under OHIP, because my insurance doesn't cover it.. so I do need a referral :(

Ugh, some doctors, I just don't understand it. I have some health issues and therefore have a whole team of doctors. Not only are they ALL on board with it, more than half of them recommended and help talk me into it. Good luck!

If your doc remains to be stubborn and won't even recognize your efforts and struggle, then it's tiime for a different doc. Remember, you are a customer, here, and if

I had a PCP way back when who was not a fan of WLS. I think it was because she had seen some bad results. If your PCP does not like WLS then she probably doesn't know who the good surgeons are. I found my own by going to a surgeons seminar and then researched the heck out of it. Then I had to fight the insurance company and appeal to get it covered. This was 7 years ago and I got it done.

So by all means find surgeons in your area, go to programs and search out some of their patients (I did it here on OH). Like everything in life, you have to take the bull by the horns so to speak. GL Diane S

Hey all,

I appreciate all the love and support and information provided. I had a doctors appointment with my family doctor on July 13 and she was very ignorant (not the first time, she's always rude) I asked her about WLS and she stated "you are too young" Firs of all I am 25 years old - I want to start my life, I want a family, I want to be healthy. She then said "I don't like to refer people for weight loss surgery because I had a patient who had it done 4 years ago and they're still on pain medication" so one person had a problem, so you are going to say no to everyone? When I again told her about all my failures at weight loss before (which she should know) she stood up and said "fine if that's what you want, I'll send a referral but just so you know it may take 2 weeks for me to send it because its more than just a letter being submitted" and she left the room...

I am not making any of that up, that's exactly what happened. I left her office crying (again not the first time I have left crying) Now my question is, can she write anything negative on my referral so they don't call? and does it really take that long for a doctor to write up a referral? and lastly am I too young?

I highly recommend finding a new PCP! Yours seems suboptimal to say the least. :/ You deserve better.

She -can- write something negative, yes. It shouldn't take a doctor that long to write a referral, but sometimes it does. (My PCP, who is awesome 90% of the time, sucks at getting stuff to other doctors' offices for me.) I don't think you're too young.