I CAN GET A DATE!! But should I?

So....after working on this journey since October of last year, I FINALLY got the go ahead to schedule my surgery.  The last month I've felt very hopeless like this wasn't going to happen.  I've done everything insurance requires and then some, but my surgeon's office didn't want to schedule my surgery because my insurance (BCBS of MS) won't do pre-approvals.  They will only look at what I've done once a claim is submitted.  My plan covers the gastric bypass roux-en-y and as far as I and my insurance coordinator can see, I've met everything they expect that's in their policy.  So anyway, given all of this and the waiting, I got this e-mail this morning:

We are going to go ahead and put you thru to surgery, BUT we are not 100% sure that your surgery claim will be paid. Therefore, you will be asked to sign a commercial ABN by our financial dept. This is something like a promissory note stating that you agree to reimburse for the surgery in the event that your claim is not paid. You will be contacted soon.
~Kelly

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So.....this is making me uneasy because what if my insurance does what insurance does and decides not to pay for this....I'm going to be stuck with a huge bill!!  I have it in my mind that I'll do everything in my power to get them to pay for it so I won't have to, but legally, if they say no, I'll have to pay the hospital, anestesiologist, and my surgeon.  Will the insurance know I've signed this paper and that could affect them approving the claim following surgery?  Should I schedule this surgery despite this worry?  I just don't know what to do.  Any thoughts and insights would be helpful!

Best of luck to everyone!!

~Jennifer

That sounds CRAZY to me!!!  I would be nervous, too.  I have never heard of something like that with such a major procedure.  I would keep going up the ladder in the insurance company until you get some better assurance or get it in writing.  It just doesn't seem legal to have you gamble like that. 

Good luck,
Cathy

My surgeons office staff was speaking with someone else about this same thing.. Their insurance did not do preauthorizations.. They look at all the information after the fact which sounds crazy.. The person was a little frightened but the coordinator was going over everything with her to make sure she had completed everything to the letter to insure an approval after the fact. I am trying to remember I believe it was Medicare but I am just not sure.. I just remember that part of the conversation..