OSU Primcare Advantage - 1 year wait ... ugh!

Has anyone successfully reduced their 1 year wait with OSU's primcare advantage insurance?  I am almost done with my first 6 months that is required and I am sooooooo ready to be done with the weekly weigh in's and on to surgery. Dont get me wrong ... I love everyone at OSU CWL program - that are amazing.  But another 7 months of waiting is just getting a little tiring.

Look at this way. If your insurance is paying, I would count my blessings. Mine excludes everything so nothing is paid for. I would gladly do a one year wait plus they want to see how committed you'll be to the program.  Suck it up. You can do this

I was questioning using the OSU insurance too, but the one year wait was daunting to me who wants this done now. I do not look forward to a financial loan for this process that will really strap me down, so I am thinking of trying this again. Can you tell me anything that the year wait entails? You said weigh ins but anything else?

Thanks for any info....

Tammy

 

p.s. you can send email if you do not want to post it all here. :)

For me, the weekly classes were good. They rotated through mental preparation, exercise, and nutrition counseling. I weighed in each week, and then had the class. At times it was frustrating, but it is worth it to not have the debt.... and of course I felt much better prepared because of it.

It took me about 15 months to get though the one year program because I got frustrated and took a break. It was totally worth the wait. I also found the Phase two course to be more beneficial because it was more intense. After the year, there is a 4 week nutrition course, which is excellent, and then you get to schedule your date. All in all it was about 18 months until my surgery, but I am greatful that I had to go through it because I felt so prepared. I also would highly recommend Dr. Mikami. He was amazing. I get to go to my six week followup tomorrow, and I am so glad where I am now.

Thanks for the reply and congrats on your weight loss. I think the mental thing will help me the most as I am a total food addict and REALLY want the lap-band to be a tool and not screw it up.

Thanks for the surgeon recommendation. I work there but don't know too many surgeons. :)

Can I ask, once you were able to schedule your date, how long did it take till your surgery?

 

Tammy

I agree with Chris that the classes are really helpful and the staff that teaches the classes are very informative and motivating.  I think it is just the year countdown that gets frustrating.  They classes are held once a week and they do cover a lot of information - which in the long run is helpful ... or so I hear.  Some people I have met barely have any requirements and then up blending white castles so they can still eat them after surgery. As far as the requirements go the classes are a little expensive, but they take it out of your pay if you are employed at OSU and so you don't have to pay anything for it.  And then the insurance will reimburse you 1/2 of what you have paid out every 6 weeks. 

After you weigh in each week you have to turn in your exercise/food journals and then you start class which lasts an hour.  You also have unlimited access to a behavioral specialist, exercise specialist, and nutrionist.  So that can be really helpful if you utilize them to the fullest.

Thanks Chris for the encouragement!

Thanks for the info, Melissa. I was told yesturday by my honey that when I want something I want it now, hence the surgery. I think the waiting might be the hardest part for me, but I will think of it as refocusing my brain and habits. I do not want to be the one blending chick filet sandwiches. I know this is going to take work, but so did gaining all this weight. Keeping it on is do easy.

I am glad you liked your surgeon when you met him. So far both sound great. That is good news.

 

p.s. I can totally relate to your blog!

I think after I finished my class I called and scheduled my pre-op appointment. There was about a 10 day wait for that. Then at that appointment we scheduled my surgery and that was scheduled for about 4 weeks out.

 

I had to pre-pay what they estimated my cost to be as $4330. When I spoke with someone last week they indicated that I would be getting some of that back. I'm a little confused by it all, but will take it if they send it to me.