Question:
Did anyone use Cigna and Not required to have supervised Diet attempts??

I am trying so hard to get the ball rolling for my WLS... I have been doing research for months and months.. But now when I get my energy going,and starting to book my consulations and appts I continue read and get info from my Insurance company, and others that when applying for approval request of diet attempts by Doctor will be needed... Has anyone used Cigna and was able to get around this, if so How?? Did they approve approve you afterwards, and How long were you on the diet???    — MZ B. (posted on April 14, 2005)

April 13, 2005
don't know if there is a way around it , but what can it hurt to see your doctor and get started on a supervised diet so the ball is rolling when you apply to the insurance for approval? I think that would be faster, easier, & cheaper than fighting the insurance to over rule a requirement that they have in place.
   — **willow**

April 14, 2005
There is a yahoo.com user's group called cignasqueakywheels. I'm not sure of how to use yahoo user's groups but I've heard that group has wonderful tips and tricks on dealing with Cigna. Good luck!
   — Shayna T.

April 14, 2005
I had cigna and definitely had to have the 6 month supervised diet. I got a lot of help on cignasqueakywheels at yahoo. cigna is very strict about their requirements. I had 67 pages of documents and was denied. I got a lady to appeal for me with a wonderful letter, along with the same documents sent in before and got approved. go figure. just have all your papers in order and meet all of their requirements.I wish you the best of luck. 4 1/2 months post op and down 59 lbs.
   — taterbug898

April 14, 2005
I just had surgery on March 28th, 2005 and was approved by Cigna. I did have to have a 6 month supervised diet and weight loss attempts documented as well as documented weight for the last 5 years (1 letter for each year by a Dr., weight loss program, etc.) When my documentation was submitted I got a letter from Cigna stating they needed more info. My Dr. wrote a letter stating I was on a supervised diet for over 6 months but didnt include my monthly weigh-ins in the letter so I called my dr. and he submitted a new letter and within a week I was approved. I was really surprised and so excited because I heard how hard it could be to be approved by Cigna and was told by my surgeons office they havent approved anybody in their office in the last 2 years but I gave them what they wanted and had no problems. Definitely talk to your PCP about starting a supervised diet ASAP and make sure you go every month to weigh in...do not skip a month because they want consecutive months...it doesnt matter if you lose or gain. Also, it doesnt hurt to make a food journal of your eating habits within the 6 months to submit to them as well. The more info they have the better chance of being approved. I know thats not always the case but for me it definitely helped get me approved. Good luck!!
   — Janice L.

April 14, 2005
Cigna is a toughy with the supervised diet trys. Here is a link to the Yahoo group that another poster was talking about. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/Losersandwinners/ and here is an additional link to the page that explains several groups on Yahoo. http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=cigna My husband was denied with Cigna because of not having the consecutive 6 months so I suggest that you stick with going to the doctor even though you think it is silly etc. There will be a pay off in the end with surgery. Try doing a library search on this site and put the word Cigna in and see what you get for responses, there may be some help with those Q & A. PS, like Cigna there are a lot of other insurance companies out there now, BCBS is one that is doing the supervised diet trys also and they are also tough to get around also from what I understand. Good luck. PSS, my husband ended up being covered with my insurance BCBS PPO of IL and had his surgery. But that was before they (BCBS) instituted the supervised diet trys
   — ChristineB