Got a call from Duke today!!!!

Well sent my app to Duke 4 weeks ago and got a call from them today.  They said I would need to do four more month of visit to my Primary Doctor  ( that would be six visit total) they said when I go for the 4th visit to give them a call and they would have me to start the lab work and everything else that i have to do. 

I"m very excited and nervous in the same.  Thanks for letting me share my excitement

I had to go thru the same thing of 6 months of dr visits--my doctor is a few fries short of a happy meal and I got a call today saying I needed diet and exercise recommendations on my november and december notes--I can't believe she forgot it..She knew why I was coming to the doctor!! ugh!!!

I'm just hoping that she'll get it done sooner than later so that I can proceed with a decision from insurance.

Good luck on your journey.

good luck to you and hope things go smoothly and quickly for you.  I also noticed that Dr. pryor is your Doctor, When Duke called today, they said that I had been assigned to her.  I'm happy that I got her!

Wendy

Dr. Pryor is wonderful. She is very capable and knowledgable. Best of luck! It'll be here before you know it!

Congratulations!!!

Make sure to talk with your Dr and let them know that the insurance can be really fussy about the notes, so you need to be sure that the Dr. documents your vitals, the dietary plan you tried for the past month and your plan for the next month, the exercise plan your tried last  during the past month and what you plan to do during the next month, the behavior modification you have done for the past month and what you plan to do for the next month. While you need to make an honest effort to lose, the weight loss is not the important thing. The important thing is that there is a record of what you have been doing and the result of those efforts. For example, if you are trying a low fat, low carb diet and keeping a dietary log, walking 20 minutes each day and going to monthly support group meetings, it covers all of the bases: dietary, exercise, and behavior modification. Going to a Weigh****chers meeting or to something like Jenny Craig, plus joining the YMCA or Zumba Class or Yoga Class etc... would also do the same thing because it provides the dietary, behavior modification and exercise components. Insurance companies vary as to how stringent they are, but normally if you have a documented attendance to the Dr's appointments that will suffice. I would check with Duke to find out what they need to have documented at these appointments to be sure that it's being done. Many primary care physicians are not familiar with what needs to be in the record and the insurance company can deny if it doesn't meet their requirements.

Good luck! 

Thank you for the helpful information.  When I spoke to Duke I was asking her about what my Doctor is supposed to document.  Because it's my OB/GYN who is referring me.  He supervises weight loss with Meds.  When I spoke to him last month I told him that I have decided to do weight loss surgery.  He told told me to let him know if I needed a letter or anything for the process and he would be happy to help.  He even told me to keep in touch with him to let him know how everything was going.  (That was be for we knew I would have to come back for 4 more visits, but I was very happy with his willing to help. 

I got off subject a little bit.  The lady at Duke is sending me a form to give to my doctor so he is documenting everything correctly.  Again Thanks so much for the good advise. 

Have a blessed Day!!

Wendy

CONGRATS!


... and I sent my app 3 weeks ago, so thanks for the heads up that I should get a call next week ;)