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How much longer?

mergatroid

Member
I've had my blood work, EKG, Psych Eval, and sleep study done. I see my surgeon on
the 4th of October. If all my paperwork is in and is presented to my insurance company,
how long does in usually take for them to answer with approval or denial?
 
Hi Mergatroid, Welcome. It sounds like you are in the final stretch, I was approved afetre my psych eval which was the last test I had to do, but all insurance companies are different but if you are up to the visit with the surgeon it should be sooner than later, you can call the bariatric program coordinator to see what they have heard if you want. Just hang in there and let us know how things go with the surgeons visit. :cool: Tom
 
Mergatroid-Like Tom said, all insurance groups are different. There have been people on this forum who had to wait 3 or 4 months for approval and some were approved within 24 hours (me for one). From memory I want to say the average wait is about 2 weeks providing the surgeon's insurance coordinator sent in everything that was required. Make sure to come back here and let us know as soon as you are approved :) :) :)
 
I worry worry worry. Since my weight is not quite the standard issue to have surgery, However my medical factors will alll see great improvment. I am scared I think what if they deny me. Will I continue on this road until I die? It's a scary thing. I have had ekg blood work, Doctors note, sleep study and psych and dietitian, who told me to start taking Vitanub D 3 as mine was to low. I hope the insurance did not do this all for nothing,
 
Thanks for your answers. I hope the insurance company is as quick to answer as you guys are. I'm glad there are people out there in cyberland like you who are
willing to help people they don't even know. Gives me comfort in letting me know that the world may not be going to hell in a hand basket. I'll keep you posted.
 
Hey, Mergatroid,

The world may well be "going to hell in a hand basket." In the meanwhile, good thing this forum is here, friendly and supportive! lol
 
I too have the same question. I have had all of my testing done. I have Oct and Nov for my primary care visits for the insurance. My question is, About how long before I hear about scheduling? I don't want to go into the next year and have to pay all of those copays again. Anyone know of anything I should be doing now to speed things up? And, will it matter if I schedule my Nov appt earlier than 4 weeks from that last with my primary care? Any answere would be appreciated.
 
Cook-If you have already had a consult with the surgeon then call that office to see what they can do to speed things up. Make sure to explain to them about the co-pays you will have to pay if things carry over to next year. If you have not yet had a surgical consult then call your PCP and ask them to move the dates of your visits up and also explain to them about your co-pay situation. I didn't have to make any office visits to my PCP before my surgery. The coordinator from my surgeon's office just contacted my PCP for a release for surgery and any documentation needed for insurance purposes like attempts at losing weight and copies of all paperwork from the last 12 months. At that time any testing that my PCP felt was needed was communicated through the surgeon's office. My question to you is why do you have to go to your PCP in order to have WLS?
 
Pat99- It is a requirement for bc/bs. Which I think is bs anyway. My primary care has already given written approval for the surgery. I have already had my consult with the surgeon. They are waiting on my pcp visits to finish up. I don't know how else to hurry this up.
 
Does anyone else have BC/BS of MI? If so, how long did it take for approval process after all visits were done?
 
dear cook, i too have bcbs of mi. although i live in florida now. but after my seminar visit last thursday i called bcbs of mi and asked them
the questions given to me by the surgeons staff. i am now confident that i do qualify for r n y. i wanted the sleeve but it is not covered by them at this time. since i am a lot older than you medicare is involved and medicare will not approve the sleeve. now that i have adjusted my thinking it is onward to the next step. i see my pcp today and will call the surgeons office to schedule an appt with the wls doc. i too have fulfilled all of my deductibles and will make a push to get this completed by the end of this year. wish me luck
 
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