6 month diet

I am in my 4 month of the pre-op 6 month diet for Cigna.  I was wondering if anyone has heard of someone being denied because they lost weight during the diet?  I figured if I could lose maybe 10-15 lbs in the next two months, it would bring the amount of weight I need to lose post op down so the likely hood of me getting to my goal with in the first year will be increased.  If anyone has Cigna or anyother insurance and has a comment on this chime in please!!!!  

I have no idea, but I'm fairly certain the point of the required 6 month diet is to see if you can lose the weight on your own - if you do, then no surgery for you.  I think that if even after dieting, your BMI is still over 40 (or over 35 with co-morbidities) you should be ok.  Might want to post this on some other boards (like the main forum or RNY) as well to get more answers.  -Leigh Edit: Hey there is an "Insurance Help" forum, too.

I thank you very much.  My BMI is 52 now, so Im sure it will be very much over 40 after these next 2 months.

I once asked the bariatric coordinataor at my clinic why some insurance companies require a medically supervised pre-op diet and she told me that basically there was no reason, it's just hoops they make you jump through so that some people will give up and they won't have to pay for the surgery...IMO, that makes some sense, but there is some value in it because the preperation that it will provide will be helpful and the healthier you are going into the surgery the lower your risks of complications are.

So true about the hoops thing. Obviously the insurance companies do this in hopes of paying out less, but it probably is a good idea anyways. In addition to helping prep your body for surgery and get you healthier, most who are unwilling to try 6 months of supervised weight loss probably aren't good candidates for surgery anyways. Even if you don't lose a bunch of weight, the effort in making some lifestyle changes beforehand are a good indicator that you will be more successful with WLS in the long run.  I'm typing long run-on sentences and I'm really not sure they make sense. Crap... I didn't even realize how late it is. No wonder I have trouble getting up in the morning since I found OH.  -Leigh

Doubtful.

I have heard that the reasons some insurance companies require the 6 month diet are... -To make you try one last time "the hard way" -To make sure you are serious (in other words, to frustrate people in to giving up) -To make sure you are capable of folloiwng a diet for any length of time -To get you in a healthier position, so surgery will not be as big a risk Unless you lose 100+ pounds or something like that on your 6 month diet, I don't think you have anything to worry about.  One of the reasons people resort to surgery is because they can't KEEP weight off, so proving to the insurance company that you can lose weight on your own doesn't mean you don't still need surgery.

I actually have BCBS of Texas and I am required to do the 6 month pre-op diet as well. I go for my 5th of 7 visits this coming Thursday. So far, I have only lost 12.5 pounds but they would prefer you lose as much as you because it is easier for the doctor to maneuver in your stomach area. Honestly, you could lose 0 or 50 pounds and they still wouldn't deny you. Like Michael said, they just have these kinds of obstacles to deter you from proceeding further with the surgery. Will we ever get a break? Good luck to you on your journey!!!