Question:
to get approved by my insurance they said that i had to have documented diets.......

i swear i have tried at least 30 differend diets threw the years everything from pills gyms ..staving...water diets...protien diets...carb diets you name it but the only time i have ever been on a diet with my dr is when i am pregent is my insurance going to consider my efferts as documented? what should i do ??my first appointment with the dr is may 5th    — jolie S. (posted on April 29, 2003)

April 29, 2003
I have a similar situation. My surgeon suggested that my pcp help by submitting a letter to my insurance stating that I have been under his care since 2000 and have tried many diets only to lose and then regain and that he thinks I am an excellent candidate for the surgery and he would hope that I would be approved for he feels it would alleviate many of my other medical problems and that I stand an great chance of succeeding with this last resort to weight loss. My PCP is very happy to write such a letter. Perhaps yours would be too. Just a suggestion. Good luck.
   — Sarah H.

April 29, 2003
My preapproval letter was just sent off from my doctor's office to my insurance company this week. I prepared my own letter (4 pages) with reasons why I know I need this surgery. I included comorbidities, how morbid obesity affects my everyday life and also a spreadsheet of my diet history including diet names, amount lost, dates, amount regained, etc. My doctor was blown away when he saw the detail. I also drafted a letter and asked my pcp to sign it. He put it on his letterhead and signed it. I pray that being this proactive will help me get approved the first time. Hope this helps.
   — J C.

April 29, 2003
Sorry, forgot to add that my letter along with my pcp's letter was sent with the surgeon's preapproval request to insurance.
   — J C.

April 30, 2003
If you have copies of canceled checks for the gym, or diet programs, that would probably be helpful.
   — Katerina M.

April 30, 2003
I had the same exact situation with my insurance, even after receiving a letter from my pcp stating that I had tried many diets but could not maintain a loss. He also stated my co-morbidities. They still wanted more info. I gave them my personal diet history as well as cancelled checks from weight watchers. I should know sometime tomorrow if I have been approved on that info. but I am not holding my breath as I have been told that Cigna and Aetna are sticklers for the supervised diet and the only thing I have to show are the cancelled checks. I would advise you to start on a supervised diet just incase they want one.
   — bubbleboo K.