Question:
how do you know

how do you know that you qualify for surgery    — marybeth weaver (posted on October 2, 2009)

October 2, 2009
Check with your ins. and Dr. See a Bariatric Surgeon.
   — tootsie52

October 2, 2009
usaully a BMI of 35 or higher and 35 with alot of co-morbidities.your hieght,bmi and comorbidities help determine.like high blood pressure,diabetes,high cloestrol,sleep apnea and then with a high bmi.also i only had one co-morbidy(high cloestrol) but i had a family history of high blood pressure and heart disease and diabetes.they can also go by family history.my dr told me i prob have preventing from even getting diabetes.i am 8 weeks out and down 50lbs.i am going to have labs in about 6 more months to check the chloestrol level.best of wishes to you
   — carolyn1970

October 3, 2009
My first call was to my insurance company to find out what the requirements are. Usually a BMI of 40 or more or about 100 lbs overweight. There are other factors as well. There are web sites like this one and others if you search that can help you determine things once you find out what your insurance requirements are but that is the best place to start.
   — Lisa von Wallmenich

October 3, 2009
I recommend attending a weight loss surgery support group near you. You can ask a lot of questions, and get answers from people who have gone through the different types of surgeries, and who are at different levels of progress. Support Groups are an invaluable tool for successful weight loss, esp. since weight loss surgery support groups have information you'll find in only a few other places (like your surgeon and computer sites like ObesityHelp.com). BEFORE you contact your insurance, check out Obesity Action Coalition (www.obesityaction.org). You can find some information on how to prepare in order to get your insurance company to approve the surgery, as well as sample letters you can use in case you need to request an appeal if your insurance company turns you down. Also, Obesityhelp.com has information about the various types of surgeries, information about insurance, how to be approved, and how to appeal an insurance denial. Good Luck and God Bless.
   — KimM