Question:
Does it matter how long you have been morbidly obese?

I am waiting for insurance approval from Cigna (HMO) and I am wondering if it is going to be a problem that I haven't been morbidly obese for a year. I have a BMI of 42 and I have LOTS of documentation of weightloss attempts from Doctors etc., but now I am worried that I will be denied because I haven't been big enough long enough. The surgeons office submitted to my insurance company yesterday. So I guess I have done all I could do and its time to pray and wait now. Everyone who prays, pray for me, please. I come from a long line of morbidly obese people and I watched my Aunt die last year at a young age due to obesity. My Mother can't walk anymore due to obesity and I see this surgery as a way to break this cycle in our family.    — kjonhjk (posted on April 3, 2003)

April 3, 2003
I do not think the length of time you are MO is going to be an issue, but I do not know about your insurance, some want a year of medically supervised diets, and some want only 6 months, so if you can show that you have been battling weight for atleast a year, you will probley be okay. You said that your BMI was 42, will what was it one year ago, if it was 39 or 40, then you can show more than one year of being Obesites. Good luck and I will say a prayer that you get your approval.
   — cindy

April 3, 2003
Joy, I don't think it should really be a problem, before you were morbidly obese, were you still overweight or obese? I was technically only morbidly obese for 2 years. I had been obese for maybe a year, but overweight for a few years before that. So maybe 6 years of being more than an average weight my whole life, and I am young. But I still got approved. It's hard tosay what exactly insurance companies want sometimes. Just keep your fingers crossed! Goodluck to you
   — Lezlie Y.

April 3, 2003
I know the Aetna requires a 5 yr documentation of MO. In fact, I had 4 years of prenatal weigh ins from my pregnancy, and there was a year missing in the middle. They waited until they received that year before approval. Like I would have lost 170 lbs and gained it back in the course of a year. Ridiculous, but whatever!!
   — SarahC