Question:
would i qualify

my bmi is 40. would i qualify with osteoarthritis in both knees,gerd,and depression or do i need more i have cigna ppo.?    — julie B. (posted on March 12, 2003)

March 12, 2003
Many insurances will cover if it is deemed medically necessary/BMI over 40/or BMI from 35-40 with severe co-morbidities. I don't know about your specific policy. The best thing to do would be to call the insurance company and ask them what they require.
   — Carolyn M.

March 12, 2003
The previous poster is right, you do need to contact your insurance company. One thing to remember when contacting them is that you do not need to reveal what your current status is as far as co-morbids, only to find out what it is (exactly) that they require for approval. Good luck!
   — Diane S.

March 12, 2003
I have one other thing to do. No matter what they tell you, tell them you want it in writing. My insurance told me over the phone it wasn't covered, but I was reasonably certain it was. Sure enough, when I got the page they had quoted from, it did state that treatment for obesityh wasn't covered since it wasn't considered a 'disease', but surgery was covered. I was approved in 2 weeks.
   — garw

March 12, 2003
Hi I have Cigna PPO and the only requirement they had was that your surgery be deemed medically necessary. If you can get your doctor to write a letter saying that it is medically necessary they will accept that. I had a BMI of 46 and a few co-morbidities. It was my sleep apena that got me the letter of medical necessity. You can view my profile for more information on my Cigna journey. Good luck!
   — daytymer