Hello

I am new to the group and new to the state.  I recently secured a new job and am looking for info for my attempt to secure wls approval.

I can have either bcbs pos or kaiser permanente hmo insurance, which one of these has anybody dealt with before and can you offer some insight into dealing with them.  How long did it take and what hoops did they make you jump through?

Welcome to GA. I have BCBS PPO. Not sure what POS is. BCBS was pretty good. They required me to have all my previous diet attempts documented and to have a letter of medical necessity written by my doctor. Of course, I don't know your specific situation. Some insurance companies require a doctor supervised diet for 6 months, some require other hoops to jump through.

I know Kaiser requires you to attend support groups both within the Kaiser structure and outside as well. I think this is a great idea. Studies show WLS patients who attend regular meetings post op for the first 18 months are more successful than those who do not.

Surgery is only a small part of the overall solution you need. There's also making healthy eating choises, increasing your physical activity as the weight comes off, getting enough liquids each day, taking smaller bites, chewing your food well, taking your vitamins, etc. Most of these other requirements have nothing to do with the surgery. That's one reason insurance companies require you to jump through hoops. Most of us don't realize all the work that's involved in beng successful with our surgery once we have it.

Whatever route you go, I wish you much success on your journey!


My suggestion is