BCBS of Alabama Question

Hi All- I am hoping to have the Open RNY surgery with Dr. Thomas Clark and was wondering if anyone here in VA has BCBS of Alabama as their insurance carrier and if so, how long did it take for approval and if they were not approved, what obstacles did you face. What they ask for with requirements seem pretty easy but almost a little too easy. Any info would be helpful. Also, I read somewhere that you can check your approval status online with BCBS. If this is true, could someone tell how to do that? Thanks for any info. Ebonie