Question:
Has anyone had Cigna PPO of Illinois and been approved?

I asked what their criteria is to cover wls and I was told I need to have documentation of being obese for the past 5 years with weight loss attempts and I have to of been a supervised diet within the past year. I would think having a BMI of 40 with shortness of breath and back and leg pain would be enough for these people.    — sherri M. (posted on April 8, 2003)

April 8, 2003
Yes they do pay for wls. Had it done last summer. I needed a psych eval and documented attempts at wt. loss which we all have.....Go for it
   — diane H.

April 9, 2003
Hi... I have Cigna PPO, in Illinois and was approved, without much problem, for Lap RNY, which I had on 1/21/03. The only issue was that they required clarification for the laparoscopic procedure because apparently codes for lap surgery have not yet been invented and they get confused. Also, it's really important to stay on top of them. Although they don't seem to have any issues with respect to actually approving the surgery, they seem to have issues with respect to following-up and keeping track of your requests. On December 4, 2002 I began my quest to ensure approval. By December 23, I had it! But, I called them every couple of days to make sure I was being put through the process. It's helpful to get someone at Cigna who volunteers to personally see to it that your paperwork gets processed. They're pretty nice, actually. Good luck!
   — [Deactivated Member]