Husband Being Deployed - Changing Ins From BCBS to Tricare

I am new on here... I have just recently started the process of getting approved for weight loss surgery. I currently have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Deleware through W.L. Gore where my husband currently works. He is in the Navy reserves and has been activated. He will be deployed in February 2008. This means that our BCBS insurance will be suspended for the time he is gone. So I will be switching insurances to Tricare. I am wondering if anyone here in Arizona has dealt with Tricare and can offer some guidance/words of wisdom/anything? I am SO disappointed because I don't want to have to put this surgery off for a significant amount of time. Plus I want to be able to get the surgery while (or before!) my husband is deployed, that way my hubbie can return to a WHOLE NEW, HAPPIER & THINNER ME!!!

Have you gotten approval from BCBS?  If so, talk to your surgeon ASAP and tell his to get you scheduled now.  I don't know for sure how Tricare works, but I would hope you could have dh around during your surgery. Thank you and your husband for the great sacrifice you are making !

That's partially the problem... I'm in the middle of the process of getting the approval. I'm only about 1 month in to the 6 month diet that BCBS requires... and I have no idea if my surgeon OR my primary care physician contract with Tricare. *sigh* I guess we have ALOT of research to do! Thanks for your response and kind words =]

I'm waiting on approval from TRICARE.  As far as I know with TRICARE you don't need the six month diet, just at least one co-morbitity and 100 or more pounds over.  Not 100% sure, but pretty sure. Shawn

WOW I am so excited now! I was SO upset at first because I thought his deployment was going to really mess up my surgery plans... I read online that Tricare is one of the easiest to get approval from for the weight loss surgery but I kinda needed some REAL LIFE experience to back it up! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

AZ TriCare contracted Bariatric Surgeons that I know of: Villares Burpee Schlesinger All 3 have profiles on O.H. (I think). Good luck to you!  and.....GIGANTUOUS  HUGGGGZZZZZZ to you and hubby for your sacrifice for all of us!

I was shocked just how easy it was to get approved through Tricare.   I am going through Dr. Villares and he is amazing.  I had some issues with his office staff at first but they have changed and my surgery is scheduled and I am ready to go.  They are extremely easy to get approval done with.  Please let me know if you have any other questions and I will help as I can.

I Have TriCare and all i can say is that they are very prompt and like to approver to keep from having the issues down the line. I know for myself, i was approved in 3 business days and this seems to be the norm w/them as long as you have BMI over 40 or are 100lbs overweight yu are approved. This is all that they require.