Referal for consultation approved!

I currently have Pacificare HMO. My M.D. has submitted the request for approval for the surgeon consult and I am starting their Healthy Roads diet (will do the appeal as soon as I get the letter from Pacificare about the diet they make you do). I have called 4 times to get the progress on the approval for the consult. Last week Central Valley Medical Group said they would just review the request and send it on to Pacificare and I needed to allow more time for this. I called Pacificare today to see if they now have the paperwork, I was told " we would'nt have anything to do with the approval for the surgery consultation, your medical group will work on that for you". So, I called the medical group, the representitive had to find the paperwork on someones desk and call me back, she left a message on my cell phone saying they will be contacting Pacificare tomorrow about this and then get back to me. They are already ticking me off!  I will be calling them tomorrow again. Anyway, in January I will have a choice to change to Blue Cross of Calif PPO.  If my appeals drag on into Jan. I may switch ins.  Does anyone have any experience with Blue Cross of Calif. PPO?  How easy is it to get approved and how long did it take?  Were there any special requirements to get approved? Thanks,  Kim B.

My friend has healthnet hmo central valley medical group she was approved for her  gastric-bypass in June 2007. She will have her surgery Sept 2007. Central Valley medical group ok'd her surgery in 1 week. They will even pay for her tt if she maintains her weight for 1 year. She lives in Modesto, ca