healthy2bmomof3

it is the overseas part, the screening team for the Marines says something like 3 years after last hospital admission for gastric bypass (of course there is nothing about VSG). It reads like a mandated order, kind of like the mandatory 2 year EFMP enrollment after depression diagnosis they started. Nobody at Bragg knows the answer (maybe b/c we are Marine Corps) and I can't get the screeners to talk to me about it. GRRRRRR How are you feeling so far?

I am, have my list all scheduled except for the pre-op and last meeting with Jasmin. Do you know about PCSing overseas after the surgery, I can't seem to get a straight answer. One person I talk to says 1 year after a non-complicated VSG another says 3 years from last bariatric hospital stay.

I have my orientation May 17, NUT appointments, Psych appointments and support group meetings usually take about 3 months. I should be done sometime in August and then they review and schedule so I am thinking September as well. My birthday is in September so I couldn't think of a better gift! So I may be September buddies with ya'll too!

Just called and got mine, so excited. I just found out yesterday that I was accepted by the MTF. I am only telling one friend and of course my husband and kids know. Organizing things for my procedure and filling out the forms makes it actually feel real!!!

Still being pushed around, my referral was never received at the MTF so after calling around for over an hour and speaking to lots of people I was told it would be faxed and to call the bariatric clinic on Monday to verify that it was received. The people at Bragg's DEERS office were horrible and the people at the office here acted like this has never came up. However I consented for Bragg's bariatric coordinator to give my info to another patient from here, she may be able to get me some POC's to get this actually started. It will soon be a month since my referral was originally put in the computer and "sent". I am getting super frustrated!

If you have Tricare and have the procedure done at a Military Treatment Facility (Fort Gordon is one) then it is "covered". Technically it isn't even billed to Tricare I was told at my Fort Bragg (military treatment facility) bariatric surgery consult meeting. Tricare Prime does not cover the procedure in a civilian center (it does cover RNY)- so there is some mis-understnading about this. Congrats on booking your consult!!!

UGH it was submitted March 6, so really March 8- I called today and my clinic said it was submitted and accepted and pending approval/rejection. I called the bariatric coordinator and it wasn't submitted because I am not enrolled in their DEERS program- she said she would call my place and get my info to get me into their DEERS system so they could see my referral and get back to me. I was penciled in for my first mandatory class next week but now I guess I can forget that but it is a few hours away so I can't just get a call the morning of! I am holding out hope however...

Fort Bragg, it is closer to me but may try Walter Reed as we are semi close to that and the hubs is friends with a few surgeons there from his time at Wounded Warriors. Nervous

So happy for you!

I am in the process right now, if you only have Tricare you have to have it done at a participating MTF, you get a referral from your PCM to the general surgery/bariatric program at a participating MTF. Once that MTF gets the referral the surgeon and his coordinator decide if they want you- it was explained to me kind of like it is a practice surgery they don't do many (at least at the 3 MTF's I called before deciding where I would try first). It is completely up to the surgeon & the criteria set at the individual place. They still send the referral but because Tricare doesn't re-imburse a MTF it technically isn't "covered" by tricare but there really isn't an expense. You can PM me for more details, I am not accepted yet but they are reviewing my record and referral, this is what the bariatric coordinator at the MTF told me. I do not want a band or RNY so if I am not approved after trying all 3 MTF's that are close by I will self-pay. About the self- pay I was concerned about not being covered for any complications and was assured by Tricare if something arose it would be covered.

I am waiting. I have Tricare but needed a referral to go to the MTF that does VSG by us... I am on 4 business days now. However with all the cutbacks our base care coordinator said it takes anywhere to 3-5 business days longer to get it pushed through and an extra 1-2 weeks at the other MTF. So in a month I hope to be able to make my appointment to see if the surgeon will approve me! The waiting is so hard, I try not to be too excited my doc said I should be accepted however when I talk to the program's coordinator the surgeon decides so even if I fall within all the categories I am supposed to if he doesn't like me or want to do it; it is over!

are any of you planning on traveling alone? I am seriously considering Dr. Ortiz but would need to go alone so my DH could stay home with the kids.

Just called Tricare and was told there are no bulletins out regarding change of service. The guy I spoke to said that typically when there is a change in coverage they get info about it a week or two out.He told me to check the CPT code online. I did and it still shows up as not covered, he did say that sometimes that will happen when there has been an update, but coupled with the fact that it didn't look like (to him) there hasn been a change there most likely hasn't been a change. He was very nice and told me to check with my surgeon's office and have the doctor submit an authorization to verify- I do not have a surgeon yet (and will probably end up going to my MTF). I just wanted to update the thread with what I found out this morning. HOPEFULLY the guy I spoke to was wrong and that coverage will begin soon! Any other updates?

We currently live in NC at a base that does not provide the surgery, so I am unsure on how to get started. It looks like Ft. Bragg is the closet base that does VSG so do I just go into my PCM and tell them I need a referral to go there? I have an appointment with my PCM on Wednesday so I am trying to gather information as to how to procede. I tried calling Bragg's Bariatric program several days last week and got no answer but will continue this week and be a little more persistant about it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!