Is Insurance CS Pulling My Leg?m

Thanks you all for your replies. I have scheduled my first appointment. I called the insurance company to make sure I have a good grasp on what I need. Below I'm pasting what it says in my benefits packet.

"Documentation of failure to lower the body mass index within the last 12 months through a medically supervised program of diet and exercise of at least 6 months duration."

Personally I would expect GEHA to tell me I would have to start a six month process with a doctor, but I'm just confused now. Obviously I would love to have my surgery earlier especially since I have scheduled leave coming up. Would it be obnoxious of me to ask the bariatric office to send in my request and see if it is approved and if not then we'll do the six month program? Also, if I have to do the six months, could I switch to BCBS and expect them to approve it in January? I'm obviously going to ask the bariatric office, but I was wondering if y'all have seen this scenero. 

If you submit things now and get denied, it may make it more difficult for approval in the future.

Can you contact customer service again and see if you can get the details on "non-consecutive weight loss attempts" in writing?

There are also a bunch of other pre-op activites that you will likely need to do, so even if you get denied, or if the surg will not submit yet, your delay will probably be less than 6 months. 

You've got it started!   See what your surgeon says. (I had a lot of other things to do before surg go scheduled - they will tell you at your appointment.)  Some is req by ins co, some is required by your dr to make sure you are healthy for surgery.

Good luck.

I'm so overwhelmed by all the responses. You all have been so kind and helpful. It's actually calmed me down quite a bit... I've been kinda jittery about going down the weight loss surgery path again. Thank you all. 

I live in NY and had Oxford/United healthcare. I only had to give 6 months of weights and it was OK even though one was missing. I was able to go back to primary and have her give me a letter with several weights from visits, I had had a test in the hospital that year, so they used that, then they used 2 times I went to the Bariatric surgeon.

Oh wow that is awesome! I think I'm going to go ahead and get documentation of my weights from my various doctors and talk to the ins ppl at the surgeon's office then. Thanks for sharing!