Panni approved!!! But what about my arms?

Ok, so I saw the plastic surgeon on 6/8.  The nurse said..he'll get it dictated today and I'll get it faxed over.  "Usually takes about 2 weeks to hear".  So, I waited a little over 2 weeks and checked.  NOTHING.  Called nurse, she told me "I sent it over last week" which was a week and a half AFTER I saw him.  So I knew I'd have more waiting.  Last Monday, I called insurance.  They received it 6/18!  The lady at BC/BS was so nice and even asked how my RNY went and that she had been considering it. So, she said call back regarding plastics whenver I wanted. I tried to be patient.  Saturday, I got the approval letter in the mail for the panni removal!! I was so excited!  But was wondering all day yesterady, what about my arms?  Was it an instant denial? Were they still considering it?  I"m ready to fight for them.  So, I called BC/BS this morning.  They never even received the request for anything but my pannus removal.  GRRRRR!  So, I called the nurse, and e-mailed the nurse at 9 this morning.  Now, I guess I wait...again!

Did BC BS cover your panniculectomy in full?  What type of problems did you have, I am in what feels like an eternal wait to hear back from the insurance company.  Congratulations on your approval I hope I am blessed with the same out come.  What type of BC BS do you have if you don't mind me asking?

I have Fed BCBS, do they cover both the arms and tummy

Yes, BC/BS will cover my panni removal in full, minus my deductible.  I have BC/BS Blue Choice.

Woohoo...congrats on the approval!  I am still going back and forth with Anthem BC about my tummy.  Hopefully they will approve the arms for you (they did mine), and you will hear from them soon.  Call as often as you need and keep them on top of it.

April

Of course my insurance will only pay for a panni removal, not a full tummy tuck.  Anything below the belly button is covered.  The rest no.  I'm just hoping that when I don't have all that skin to shove into my pants that it won't poof over the top any more, lol

I have BCBS they approved a tummy tuck for me.  You can try looking into that too.  I am not sure about the arms though.  I know a girl at my work is having them pay for thighs.  She had a lot of documentation for rashes. 

Erica

I'm gonna fight for what I really need.  My arms!! I need my thighs lipoed or something too, but will take tummy and arms!!!

Sally,

What criteria do you have to meet to have your arm covered? I had no idea that was something that MIGHT be covered!

I'm not sure what criteria would be.  What I was told was that they rarely pay for ams.  See Shari's post (Jupiter).  My arms look very similar to hers.  I have so much excess skin, that I do have to be careful when cooking when reachign to back burner that it touches a pot in the front.  I have to SHOVE the excess skin into clothes; search and search for short sleeves that are long enough to cover the excess skin, dry very carefully so that I don't get sore, stinky rashes.  Insurance is such crap.  How can they not pay for such things?  Beats me. Yeah, its cosmetic to remove 5 pounds of skin from each arm, but yeah, it would improve my life and things that I do.