Support Needed, Insurance has denied request for revision

Aetna Just Turned Down Surgeon's Request for a Revision. My original surgery was 21 months ago; it was a Lap RNY/transected. I started at nearly 500 lbs, with a BMI into the 80s. My surgeon wanted to be conservative at the time, so only 100 cms were bypassed. I was fine with this, as I should prefer someones erring on the side of caution. At the time and since, we discussed that if this amount seemed inadequate because of my high starting weight, he'd be willing to go back in and revise. Ever since the summer, I have stablized at about 150 lbs for a total loss. I have 200 more to go. I'm consistently doing the right things; high protein, high water consumption, watching fats, sugar, and calories in general. I'm more active than I've been in over a dozen years, in spite of diagnosed plantar faciitis/heel spurs (both feet) as well as severe, degenerative arthritis diagnosed seven years ago in both knees. My surgeon has already had an upper GI series performed on me, and says the pouch is just the size it should be at this point. I have been working with the dieticians all along as well. Because of all of this, my surgeon was ready to do a revision. We have COBRA now through my husband's former employer...who changed insurance companies a few months ago from Blue Cross to Aetna. A phone message was left yesterday for my surgeon from a physician at Aetna, saying that the revision request was denied. We had already sent them several years worth of records, and so had my PCP. They are taking the view that because nothing went "wrong" mechanically with the surgery, a revision is not in order. The other comment made was that I didn't have a documented exercise program nor, I'm not kidding, two years worth of food diaries listed in my PCP's files. How many people or physicians keep or ask patients to keep two year food diaries, let alone put all that info in their charts? Regarding an exercise regime, this is the same company that previously turned down requests for foot and knee surgeries to help me become more mobile. The reason? I was morbidly obese and would only continue to do more damage! This to me is trying to have it both ways. More illogical that anything else, though, is that I still fit their own criteria for WLS as a first-time patient! A further stress is that we are fighting my husband's COBRA administrator. We feel that because I am registered disabled by Social Security, COBRA law states that we are entitled to another 11 months of coverage. The administrator is arguing that because we didn't let them know within 60 days of coverage (We did; it was a different COBRA administrator then), they have the right to cut us off at the end of this month and have given no indication when they plan to rule on our request. So...I feel like I'm playing a game of "Beat the Clock" as well. I apologize for how long this posting has become; I have attempted to offer support in this forum for the past two years, and have received wonderful support and feedback myself. I could surely use some of that now! = ) Thank you so much.

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