Six month diet

I have Pacific Care, I'm schedule for surgery 1/25/07 and I just heard that I need a six month diet.  I was in weigh****chers a year before I decided to give up and get RNY.  Is there any way I can fight this? Heidi

Your best bet is to get a copy of your insurance's policy regarding weight loss surgery so that you know exactly what you need to do to get approved.  Seems like your surgeon's office is not too sure of your insurance requirements if they scheduled you without getting approval, so it would be in your best interest to KNOW what you need to have to get approved.  Don't rely on the surgeon's office to tell you what you need to do...be pro-active and find out for yourself.  Might save you some heartache in the long run. I don't know about your particular insurance, but I had to do a 6-month supervised diet....it couldn't be some weight loss center or WW, had to see a physician every month...no lapse.....had to be once a month for 6 months (actually 7 visits as they consider the first one a consult).  I did use WW as my diet, but my physician documented my weight monthly, along with the diet and exercise program I was on.  I didn't have any trouble getting approved with that.  I did not try it, but I'm pretty sure I could not have gotten around doing the supervised diet and still gotten approved.   I know how bummed you must be after getting scheduled and all, but you might just have to wait the 6 months so you can get approved quickly after that.  It did give me time to research more and read posts on OH so that I felt really ready to have surgery when the time came.  I also lost a bit of weight, which I think helped my surgery to go really smoothly.  Good luck with everything

The 6 month diet needs to be defined by your insurance company.  Request your insurance company to fax you a copy of their guidelines and have them explain it to you.  Make sure that with any calls you place with your insurance company, you get a name and document the conversation.  This is very important.  Some insurance companies will accept WW while others will not.

Good luck.

I have BCBS and they have the same requirment, When I found out, I was really upset, but after getting feedbacks from some of the members, I decided to pick another battle to fight, and not this one. I started WW and my PCP and started documeting everything. so far I have lost 9 lbs, on my first month and that could only help me for my surgery. I am using this time to think everything over and read more and talk to more members to find out what I need to do after surgery. Start the 6 months diet, and it will help you not to put on more weight around holliday, and that is a good thing, while you are waiting....:-)

I don't mind the diet.  I just wish the Dr and HMo would have been on top of this.  I was given the option for wls 3 years ago.  It scared me to death so I said I was going to do it with WW and hired a trainer.  I got no where.  I don't want to waist anymore time.    If this started back in June then I want them to notify me to get it started.  I've been working with them  on this since last March. I guess I can complain all I want.  It doesn't get me anywhere.

I'm sorry that they caused you to waste so much time...its horrible...but you can't change it now.  So make sure that you know your insurance policy backwards and forwards and go on from here, doing everything you need to do to get approved.  You be in charge of getting your surgery done and it will happen.  You know what they say...if you want something done right, you've got to do it yourself.  Good luck!!