I had similar cir****tances, self pay for the band and it eroded 6 years later.

My new insurance covers WLS but they refused to cover the removal of the band. It cost me $16,844 to have it removed.

They are covering my RNY that is scheduled in October, and if I had been able to wait and have both procedures at the same time my bill would have been significantly less, but I just couldn't wait.

It is probably not in your best interests to wait 12 months and you are able to fight a denial sooner than that, assuming your surgeon's office is willing to submit a request for surgery right now (as opposed to waiting 12 months).  This link to our site might give you some more things to think about when it comes to either fighting this unfair criteria or just going through with a year of dieting:

wlsappeals.com/common-bariatric-denials/common-denials-insuf ficient-supervised-weight-loss-efforts/

Hopefully this helps!  Good luck.

 Anthem Blue Cross / Blue Shield COVA (state of VA) requires 12 months of diet (WW, Jenny Craig) before covering bariatric surgery. And they only pay 50% of the weight loss program for employees, not spouses, and this my husband's policy. If I can get through a year, I may or may not be approved anyway. SO MAD. 

Hi

I have Hoizon BCBS-NJ not sure if that is direct or not... 

I just had the VSG on 7/24/12 and had to do a 6 month diet.  I finished my 6 month diet on 5/2/12 and the insurance took almost 7 weeks to approve the surgery.   I was worth the wait.

I hope all goes well for you.

 No, I browsed these forums and did a lot of internet research but I just don't have the money to do it.  So, I found something that is actually working and am losing weight the old fashioned way . . slowly but steady.  I've lost 40 lbs since the end of March using ViSalus.   Figured I'd end up on shakes before/after a surgery anyhow.  lol