Question:
Can anyone share their experiences if they are just under the 100 lb requirement?

I am 80+ lbs overweight and pursuing VBG surgery. The surgeon I want to use tells me I need to be 100 lbs. overweight. I am the heaviest I have ever been @ 230 lbs, he says I need to be @ 245-250. So I am now TRYING to gain weight, which is a strange experience, I don't mind telling you. I am scared to death I will gain all this weight in a short period of time and be declined. My insurance is Aetna HMO. Any advice or experiences would be really welcome.    — laura T. (posted on March 23, 2001)

March 23, 2001
I have Aetna HMO. Their requirement is a BMI of 40+ OR 35 with comorbidities. Do you have co morbids??? Also your BMI is 39.1 according to your profile... Go for your consult after a big meal, wear heavy clothes, and measure your height barefooted and you should make it! Aetna was great for the approval. My BMI was 43. Good luck.
   — Jeannet

March 23, 2001
I am 5'2 and I weight 215 lbs...I have sleep apena, hypothyroidism, asthma, Gerd edema....I am meeting with a Dr. in Staten Island on May 12...His nutritional consultant told me he will may do the surgery because of all my other medical problems...I hope he does or I will try also to gain more weight...230 lbs sure put you on a BMI of 40....why don't you consult with another Dr.
   — Barbara C.

March 25, 2001
I'm 5'2" tall and weighed 209# (BMI 38), but had serious co-morbidities, including severe hypertension not controllable with medication. I was approved by my HMO 2 weeks after submission without any supplemental evaluations. Refer your surgeon and insurance carrier to the National Institutes of Health recommendations, which are based on BMI (Body Mass Index), not a flat "100# overweight" standard. NIH recommends WLS with BMI of 40 or 35+ with co-morbidities.
   — Linda B.