Question:
Any advice on how to work with surgeon's staff?

I have been pursueing this surgery for 7 moinths. they have misplaced my file twice, i have had to pursue my insurance company to get approval, and now i am still waiting for permission to make an appointment with dr. neuhoff. they also have to resubmit for approval because they forgot to request a psych eval. the ist time. this company does not seem to care what happens to the individual whose life is on hold and is getting sicker while waiting.    — [Anonymous] (posted on December 22, 2000)

December 21, 2000
The insurance company does not care. See my latest posts for the hoops I've had to jump through and am still waiting & fighting. You have to make yourself a royal pain in the butt to get anything done. My surgeon's office has been great - the insurance company has been the tough part. Don't back off & let them forget you. Good luck!
   — Lisa B.

December 22, 2000
I echo Lisa's sentiments. The insurance companies don't care, and the people at the surgeon's office are often just too busy to care as well. I also had my own hoops to go through for this surgery both with Kaiser and with the surgeon's office, and I believe that persistence and good follow-up on your part are key. Don't assume anything. Don't assume they will have done their job, because often they haven't. (It will be done when they get around to it.) And you'll get a lot of excuses as to why something didn't happen as it should have. Be sure to follow your own paper trail. If you are expecting certain paperwork or lab results to come in, you must follow up directly with the parties involved to be sure this information was sent to the correct person, etc. Call EVERY day if necessary. Be a huge pain in the butt. Be very, very persistent. Don't let anyone blow you off, and if you don't get the required results, don't just complain - SCREAM!!! Talk to the supervisor, etc. If they know you're serious about your health and that you won't take crap, they will be a bit more careful. I am not a nasty person by nature, but there were times when I turned into a BIG B....... and I had no regrets about doing so. When I act reasonably and request reasonable results, I expect it to be done, and when it's not - look out!!! Good luck and enjoy the holidays!!!
   — Paula G.

December 22, 2000
One warning, and comment: I was persistent--but polite, even though just as you describe, the surgeon's office failed to submit for approval for about 3 weeks! (All the while claiming they had.) In my case, the insurance person was MORE caring and helped me obtain rapid approval once the papers were sent. She also reponded quickly to my e-mails, and threw in an approval for Vioxx, which I also mentioned I needed.... My surgeon is billed as caring, and he is a good, pretty competent surgeon. But he is not overly concerned about the welfare of any one patient, and is impatient with being bothered about such things in any way. He also covers himself legally by rquiring all of his patients to take the longest, most expensive psych exams--whether or not their insurance requires it--of any any one I've heard about here on the WLS BB. My warning is that when I became too much of a pain concerning the issue of confidentiality, I was asked by the psychologist--who works with him, and put his needs over mine-- to take my business elsewhere, and when I wrote the surgon, he did not even acknowledge the letter. I am glad now that it happened, because I found a better doctor, can be seen sooner, have more options, and am with the surgeon I should have chosen in the first place. The lesson here is that if your docotr is TOO slow, unconcerned with you personally, etc., maybe you would be happier elsewhere, too. I have noticed that there is a HUGE and growing demand for WLS, as compared to the number of qualified surgeons. One result is that there will be people entering the field underqualified and strictly money-motivated, because of the huge money to be made. (Rather like liposuction or breast implants when they were new--remember the abuses which occurred?) And this also means they can pick and choose among the best and least troublesome candidates in every way. They can keep their complication rates down, so they look like better surgeons than maybe they are, by being highly selective, or making hoops too hard for some to jump through. (One super-obese patient was asked to lose 40-50 lbs., a great idea for reducing complications, but near impossible for him.) Maybe it's time we as consumers responded by taking our business elsewhere, too, even if it means a longer wait. I'M sure glad I did.
   — [Anonymous]

December 22, 2000
First of all, I would consider finding another surgeon. If his office staff is that inept, then just imagine how they will be when you need help pre-op/post-op. Secondly, the insurance companies could not care less if they approve you or not. This is just more money out of their pocket that they will have to shell out. Be persistant or find a different doctor. I had to do that with the plastic surgeon my surgeon referred me to...The office staff was VERY rude and unprofessional so I found a different PS. Good Luck...Just remember this is your body and you deserve only the best of treatment! Hugs~
   — Marni