I AM SO ILL!!!!

Ok, so I just got off the phone with my insurance company. When my PCP first suggested a bypass the first thing I did was call UHC and ask them what specifically I needed. They said a doctor's recommendation, blood and lab work, and a psych eval. I asked them specifically if I needed to do the supervised dieting and they said no.

Come to find out a few days ago that another company actually handles bariatric surgeries. After chasing my case manager down over the last few days, I finally get her on the phone by accident. Within 5 minutes she tells me I have to have that 6 months of supervised dieting.

I could've been doing that all along!!!!!!!! I first called UHC 6 months ago and I could be having my surgery any time now if they had gotten their facts strait.

NOT COOL!!!!!!!

United behavior Health SUCKS !!!!!!! SORRY TO TELL YOU THAT .......THEY CONTRACT OUT EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN TO DISCOURAGE CARE ......

So sorry to hear. There are so any obstacles on getting WLS surgery. These diets are definitely one. Well, look at it this way: Five years from now, a six month wait will have just been history and not matter. -- Tom 

 That really sucks! Sorry B! 

Isn't it crazy how difficult insurance companies make it to get coverage for WLS??  From strictly a financial standpoint, you would think they would ENCOURAGE obese clients to have any procedure which would save them from having to cover all of the medications, tests, treatments, surgeries, hospitalizations, doctors' appointments, etc. that come along with the co-morbidities of obesity.  I'll never understand it.

Have them check that again. I have UHC and they did NOT require a diet from me. I'm not sure if it differs state by state, but I could give you the number to the clinic that worked my insurance case.

I made some more phone calls last night and found out that it's actually my employer, not my company that requires it. I emailed my human resources rep to see if there's anything she can do. I called my doctor too and they told me usually if an insurance company requires that, they call within a day or two of the submission to say hey, you forgot something. It's been 3 weeks now and the doctor's office hasn't heard anything. The nurse said sit tight and see if UHC is going to go ahead and approve it but she was the one that suggested I talk to my HR rep.

And I totally agree - I don't get why they make this so difficult. I don't understand why they won't help people quit smoking either. If some one is trying to get healthier, they're less of a liability, which means paying for insurance that they don't use. I've already sank enough into UHC to cover the surgery.

Hook a sistah up for Heaven's sake!!