medicare advantage plans and WLS

Do medicare advantage plans cover WLS just as medicare does and do they go by the same guidelines...everywhere i look i would meet the criteria for WLS...bmi over 50 and degenerative arthritis of the spine (thats me) however i have not had a dr supervised diet in about 5 years and thats when i was on xenical...do you have to have a dr supervised diet if you have a high bmi on medicare or a medicare advantage plan? my surgeon submitted feb 8th said they have 30 days to respond sooooo.... just wondering... also do you know if there is a waiting period with new coverage with medicare advantage plans?  my coverage started jan1st 08'.

almost all medicare plans go by medicare rules, you shouldnt have a waiting period either.  The six month diet thing might hold you up, I think it needs to be more recent.  Insurance plans do not care how high your bmi is in relation to their rules on supervised diets. Your bmi could be 80 and you would still have to do one. I would make sure you get a diet visit in this month and not wait until you get a denial, then you have one diet visit done with. If you get approved, it will not matter, but if you do not get a definate answer before the end of the month, you'll have to wait six more months, not five! Bonnie