It's a waiting game!

I need to vent, and this is going to be long....my apologies in advance

Well, here we are playing the waiting game.  I know not everyone has the same schedules as I do.  Mine are busy and yours' are, too.  I was told on 10/5 that all of my information would be sent to insurance for predetermination on 10/6 or 10/7.  I was anxious, but I waiting over a week to call my insurance.  

A quick phone call to my insurance yesterday left me feeling a bit blue.  They had no information about WLS.   Insurance told me to have the surgeon's office fax it in and mark it as urgent.  This way, I would have an answer in 72 hours.

I called the surgeon's office to see what was going on.....had they faxed it in? Did they mail it? Where was it?  They quickly told me that the actual surgeon's office was not the one that sent them in.  I needed to speak to someone in patient accounts.  Transferred call. Patient accounts hadn't heard anything about it. 

Call back surgeon's office. They had sent the information on to patient accounts last Wednesday, but the manager that sends them into the insurance was out of the office on Thursday and Friday.

Called surgeon's office again today. It has been faxed in with a confirmation from BCBS saying that it was received.  So, I call insurance.  The fax was marked as non-urgent!!!  

Finally, BCBS rep was very kind.  She asked me to call back on Friday and check on it.  She did say that no news was good news...i.e. if there's not an answer on it by Friday, at least you won't hear that it had been denied.

I know that there are worse things that we have all been through, but right now, this is the most important thing for my health!  Please keep me in your thoughts, as I may have a meltdown before long.  (this just goes to show you that you have to be your own advocate in this crazy world we live in!)

Yes the suspense and emotions of the "waiting game" are enough to drive you mad!!! I'm so impatient so I was caught off guard with my approval news. I had a voicemail I kept forgetting to listen to with my Surgeons nurse saying I was approved! About 3 extra days of worrying for nothing LOL! Hang in there any maybe find something to keep you busy. (I know your answer...yeah right!)

I just don't like waiting.  I am very impatient!  I think I'll try to concentrate more on getting more steps and fluids in each day.  One good thing about this is that my surgeon does not require a very extensive pre-op diet.  It's just a few days eating lighter and one day of clear fluids. :)

Look on the good side of this, at least your insurance doesn't exclude weight loss surgery. The fact that you have any chance at all of being ap0proved is much better than a lot of us have at all.. Did that help any?

If that didn't help, sorry (:

Ceci

Your words did help!  Thank you!

I went through something so similar with my doctor's office and BCBS!! It's so hard to be so close, yet feel so far away!

I found that as long as I called BCBS and was very nice, the person helping me was really helpful (I have BCBS of TX)

It tooik BCBS 15 working days to review/approve my file. I thought I would DIE!

Hang in there!! It really is closer than you think!

I also have BCBSTX.  They have been very nice.  The lady I spoke to today told me that I needed to call back on Friday, and maybe there will be an answer.  If there was an answer, then I could get them to contact the surgeon's office and generate a letter to email to me right away.  I'll call Friday and every other working day after that to get this done before end of year!

Thank you for your kind words!

I have BCBS of Mn and it also took 15 working days for approval. Keep working on 30/30 rule, chewing well and tracking your intake. Once you get the approval things can move very quickly! GOOD LUCK!

It is frustrating for sure... Just so you know though- I'm in Ontario, and was referred in February. I am hoping for surgery by February 2017, but it may not be until May, and i've completed all the pre-WlS stuff... Just waiting to meet the surgeon (not until November 25) and get a date.

I hope your approval comes through soon- and you will probably be having your surgery before me. Sorry- that sounds like I'm minimizig your vent, and I'm not trying to do that at all.