6 Month Diet with Cigna/Dr Atkinson

Hey Everyone.  I kinda new and have been reading through all the posts.  You guys have tons of great advise.  I began my 6 month diet in 10/07 but I had 2 months in the 6 that I missed so I have to start all over.  So I began again in 04/08.  I have had monthly visits with my PCP and I have gained 10 lbs in the last 2 months.  That blew me away.  I have gone to the nut and done my psych eval.  I had my cardio and labs done.  Now my PCP wants me to try a new liquid diet from the center for medical weight loss.  It may be costly and I am afraid if it works for my last 2 months and I loss weight I will be denied.  I was also reading about the 180 day rule.  Not sure how that applies but I guess I should add a month to the diet just in case.  I began 4/28/08.  Any info on Cigna PPO in Nevada or Dr. Atkinson is appreciated.

Insurance companies have the 6 month diet as a road block to wls.  They use this to be sure you are serious about your commitment to the process.  I haven't heard anyone talk about being denied after they have completed the 6 month diet and lose some weight.  Your surgeon will probably want you to lose weight before surgery anyway to shrink your liver. 

My surgeon does not require weight loss prior to surgery.
My PCP is actually really supportive.  I think he is just excited at a new program that he can really support.  I have given in to the 6 month deal.  In fact it seems from the boards that I actually need 180 days.  That will put me in Oct.  That's ok with me.  I just can't afford  the diet program which is a liquid diet with shakes.  I didn't want to give the ins company something to complain about.  I have actually gained 10 lbs while on this 6 mo diet.  But I think the comorbs have something to do with that as well.  I have HBP, enlarged heart and sleep apnea.  I am going to do a sleep study next week.  I am very happy with my PCP.  He actually created a program that he runs with every customer now that I needed this 6 months documented,  Dr. Atkinsons office is great and has given me details of what the insurance company wants to see in the notes.  So I am good there.  I have been on the Nevada board but no luck with the answers to my questions.  Thanks for the info and support.

Hi, I have Cigna, and am waiting for approval as I type, was submitted last week by my surgeon, with the six months completed and a letter and all my stats written by my doctor.  My Surgical Center told me what to take to the drs (ie printed note)  for my final 6 month appointment that NEEDED to be in the letter, ie, vitals, weight, what kind of diet, what kind of execise, what medication or why not. 

Anyway, I have been reading and getting ready for surgery, and your concern for the cost of shakes made me write.  They can be CHEAP, check out Walmart, go online, shop around.  and remember you will not have FOOD costs so that is really not a big deal.  Walmart has the proteins shakes for about $13 for 28 SERVINGS @26 Grams per drink.  Go to CostPlus and get the sugar free syrups there, much cheaper and ..........the REALLY expensive part you will have to do the rest of your life..............and that is Vitamins.  The amound and kind of Vitamins seem to be a bigger commitment than buying protein shakes.

Good luck and read other peoples blogs on what they do and how they make shakes, what they liked or didn't.  Its how I learned where to buy things cheaper and how to make them better.

Congrats and your upcoming approval.  The shakes are not just protein shakes.  This is a diet plan he is offering from the Center for Medical Weight Loss.  This is not for after surgery but a diet plan before surgery. 
Did you have to lose weight for Cigna to cover you?  I have not been told that.  In fact I have gained 8.5 lbs during my 6mo diet.

i have lost weight, exactly what they told me I needed to lose when they submitted me.   They also, or my Bariatric Center, told me I had to, or implied as much, and I did not want to test the water and be the one to hold up my submittal after every single thing I have done to get to this point, ie THIRTY hours of classes, pap, mammogram, chest xray, nutritionist, individual counseling, upper and lower GI tests, physical, sleep study and I am sure I am missing other things they required.  They submitted a "complete" package, but this is their standard procedure.  I don't know what they would have done if I had gained weight, and for me, I knew I could lose weight, it was just setting my mind up to do it that was the hard part.  Now I am focused on KEEPING it off just in case, and I have more than a month to go before surgery and a huge corporate trade show in Las Vegas to get through, or I would have done it sooner. 

Good luck with it, and in one of my classes she said "you can do anything one day at a time" and that was how I got started on losing what they said i had to.  I just figured I could do it "one day at a time" since the rest was so overwhelming.

I had done the 6 month diet before and the Bariatric Center said the notes were not what the insurance will accept.  So I had to do it all over again.  This time they gave me all the details on what notes were needed.  I have done all the testing, blood work, xrays, sleep study, nut, pysch.  Everything they told me to do.  There was no mention of actual weight loss.  If I could lose weight why would I be here? I have my 6th month visit 9/15.  But now I am reading it has to be 180 day diet so I may have to do one more month.  On my last visit I was back down 3.5 lbs.  So at this point I have gained 5lbs.  I will try my best to get back to my original weight.  Other than this whole actual weight loss I think I have eveything done correctly.

I wouldn't worry about losing too much weight with the 6 month diet. My insurance actually just recently changed the requirements for approval to say that if you GAIN weight during the 6 months diet (defined as weighing more at the end as in the beginning, not jus that you have a gain in between and then lose it again), then it is considered unsuccessful, and they will deny you. So I HAVE to lose weight (or at least maintain) in order to get approved!