DENIED AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE...HELP!!!

7/24/03..,I have just been denied by CIGNA because they said I am missing a document about being on a medically supervised diet for the past 12 mos...So, I have left a msg so hopefully my dr can help me out, and my surgeon's office is going to see what they can do...CIGNA is absolutely impossible!!!! I could have had this letter months ago, and they waited until now-5 days before I am supposed to have surgery...I am so angry that my hands are actually trembling!!! They have totally screwed up my scheduling-even my office has hired a temp for the time that I'm supposed to be out---I'm at my wit's end!!!!!! So, now I have to start the appeal process...I'm so bummed out!!!!

Hi Andrea, I know exactly what you are going through. I phoned cigna yesterday to check on my second level appeal and they said I coundn't even speak to anyone...huh?? Talk about cazy this is cazy....I wrote a congressman that has had this surgery maybe he can help. His name is Jerry Nadler he is congressman for New York. His email address is [email protected] I haven't heard anything from him yet, so I will write another letter and I will also write to my senators and congressmen in my state. I called the U. S. Labor department (no help there). But by God I'm not going to stop til I find someone with some clout that will listen and help us out!!! Hang in there I know it's hard. I had diet documentation...I sent it...I sent a print out of all the diet meds I had been on for last two years.. Last yr I was on phentermine for 8 out of 12 months (monthy weigh ins at dr) and the yr before that on (phentermine and adipex) for 9 out of 12 months (with monthy weigh ins) I guess they missed reading all of that...As my dr. even wrote to them and wrote down each date I was on it. But they want my medical records. I guess a note from you doc isn't good enough. This is such bull....the nosey sob's

Andrea, I know exactly what you are going through, I was denied at the last minute also by my insurance company (Blue Cross PPO), for the exact same reason. I found out a week ago last Saturday that I was missing my medically supervised diet documentation. My surgery is scheduled for August 4th. i was panic stricken because it took me eight months to get scheduled for surgery. Anyway, I hounded my Medically Supervised Weight loss provider for the documentation to be sent to my Surgeon's office. It took them until Thursday to send the information. (I called them everyday and begged, pleaded, etc.) In the meantime, I hounded Blue Cross every day with phone calls checking on the status. They tried to deny me again, I argued pleaded, they forwarded the information that I sent a second time to the reviewer today, flaging my supervised diet. I was approved today. A supervisor got involved from Blue Cross and I think that helped. Don't give up, get them the info that they need and call them until they give you what you want! Good Luck.