Question:
Commercial Weight Management Program

Insurance is asking for documentation on Medically supervised (which I have some) and Commercial weight management program for six consecutive months. Are they asking for programs like Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and TOPS or is this including programs that we buy over counter like Slim Fast, Scan Diet, Dexadrine and Metabolife. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated. I just received this in mail yesterday and will call them but thought someone out there might know. I have GH Options.    — Karen V. (posted on September 23, 2001)

September 23, 2001
Hello, just some information that I experienced. They want to know the programs that were medically supervised which would be Jenny Craig, Nutri-System etc. But not T>O>P>S because it is not medically supervised there, you have to see your doctor before starting the program. I was a member a while back. It is a great support group. Hope this helps you out.~~Wanda
   — Wanda B.

September 24, 2001
Hi there. I recommend you document every program you've tried even your own personal diets. One of my "diets" was an organic food diet. This wasn't supervised or even out of a magazine, just something I really thought would help. It didn't, but I still tried. The insurance company will probably give more merit to the more formal programs but I say document them all. The more you've tried, the more convincing the case. Plus it's good information for you to remember. Good luck.
   — kcanges

September 24, 2001
Yes, they are asking for things like WW, Jenny Craig, TOPS, etc. If you've ever gone to a dr. to get diet pills to lose weight ... add that. If you've ever been to a nutritionist put that too. THEN, if you have tried Metabolife, etc. you might want to add that, but all the other stuff is what they really want. Then probably your weight at the beginning and end of every diet. Scheesch, when I added up all my medically supv'd diets and my weight loss and gain it was depressing. I'm happy now though; I'm 8 mos post-op, down 87 lbs.and feel great! Good luck!
   — Betty Todd

September 24, 2001
I documented EVERYTHING. And I still had some of the Weight Watchers and Lean Line books to prove it if necessary. My 20 year diet history was three pages long. I included things like magazine diets, over the counter preparations, health food store stuff (remember Thermogenics?), Herbalife, Richard Simmons (I bought it not twice, but three times) as well as every supervised program. I could have thrown a ton of paper at them, but didn't need to. But, it can't hurt either.
   — Dee P.