erica hall

@Kriss and Peacock Mama: I would love to do the Princess Half Marathon with you all.

Good luck to all my March 1st sleevers. I'll be praying for all of you a successful surgery and an even more successful and speedy recovery. I'm on Day 2 of pre-op liquid diet and its hard. I guess because I am just used to chewing so to not chew feels weird. I still get hungry though.

I just ordered my vitamins and other supplies from Unjury for post-op. Going to get my pre-op stuff today. I start diet on Wednesday.

Keep the faith and only listen to yourself and what your instincts tell you!!!

Update - Today I received my official notification so my date is March 13, 2013. I start my pre-op diet this Wednesday. This site has kept my spirits up when they were down. I just want to thank everyone and I will keep you all posted on my progress as we travel this journey together.

Th Update - Today I received my official notification so my date is March 13, 2013. I start my pre-op diet this Wednesday. This site has kept my spirits up when they were down. I just want to thank everyone and I will keep you all posted on my progress as we travel this journey together.

Has anyone else had problems with UHC? I had to appeal twice but won. They are so unorganized and rigid.

Thank u so much for sharing your journey with us. I for one am inspired and motivated by what u have accomplished.

All: My date is March 13 but I have to share my horror story. I was scheduled to have my surgery on 12/19/2012. Right before, the hospital called me and said that my insurance company, United Health Care (UHC) denied the surgery and that it wasn't covered under my plan. I was so angry, hurt and depressed I didnt know what to do. On December 12, 2012, I received a claim denial letter and was given the following reasons: The services are not eligible expenses under the plan. This decision is based on the following plan language found in the Certificate of Coverage in the Section entitled Section 2: Exclusions and Limitations: Surgical and non-surgical treatment of obesity. THIS IS NOT A PLAN EXCLUSION. THIS IS IN MY PLAN. I immediately appealed the decision and sent in a whole file of supporting documentation along with doctors notes for medical necessity. On January 23, 2013, UHC wrote me saying that I won the appeal and that the procedure was covered. You would think it would be easy after being approved and appeal overturned. However, this is where my nightmare began. It took me until yesterday to get everyone (hospital, UHC) on the same page. The UHC system kept showing I was denied but I had a letter saying approved. I called both the hospital and UHC every day to complain about the inconsistencies and obvious blatant incompetence on someone's part. I also wrote the President and CEO of UHC three times to complain while also contacting the State of Maryland Office of the Attorney General to help me deal with this. I spent hours on the phone every day with various people from UHC only to end up with no resolution. There is conflicting and contradictory information in UHC’s system. I am being given conflicting accounts of the status of my claim: One system has the appeal noted and approved; another system has that the procedure has been denied. So everytime Washington Hospital Center calls for surgery approval, they are being told that the procedure has been denied. However, they have a copy of the approval letter from UHC dated January 23, 2013 and has also been told that the procedure has been approved. One day, it’s approved, the next day it’s denied. The inconsistency is horrible. I wrote in my letters that "I am in disbelief that this is happening to me. What did I do to deserve this?" I am beyond livid at the incompetence of UHC staff to settle something as simple as this. I am upset, disappointed, angry and depressed that this insurance company continues to play with my life. Every day there is a different issue or story being provided by UHC. Is this so much about business that you do not care about me as a person? Or is it that you want me to just die so that you don’t have to approve the surgery? Everyday I receive different information from UHC most of it conflicting and inaccurate. Why isn’t everyone on the same page? " I then asked that UHC please provide the following information related to your denial: - Specific records reviewed - Specific records required to approve this treatment - Medical opinions justifying the denial - All documents, records, health benefits plan provisions - Internal rules - Guidelines and protocols So finally after two months of fighting and calling, I am finally scheduled for March 13th. This fight took so much out of me, I am tired. However, I woke up this morning thinking I need to concentrate on the process rather than the results. So I am back in the fight and will win this time with God and your help.

I am scheduled for March 13th