MsLauren180

Hello, has anyone had their surgery with Kaiser in the Inland Empire? If so, can you tell me what steps you took to get approved by Kaiser? Who your pcp was? I'm switching to Kaiser January 1st and want to make sure I find a new primary care physician who is pro weight loss surgery, and want to make sure I do all I can to get approved. Thank you!!

Thanks for responding! I called the health education department earlier this week to see if I could go ahead and schedule my appointment now with the weight management/preventative medicine doctor and was told I could schedule it now. I told her I was interested in weight loss surgery and she said I can go straight to meeting with the doctor who will qualify me for surgery and from there I will go to orientation and then the options classes So I guess I get to skip some steps which is awesome! I meet with Dr Mohamed Ismael on the 30th in Corona

That's awesome. When is your surgery date? Are you going through kaiser as well?

Wow!!! That's so awesome! Congrats )))))))

How is everything going after the surgery?

Hope all is well with you too I just messaged you back. Sorry took so long, I didn't even know you messaged me

I definitely will! I keep hoping someone will have some sort of info ... No luck yet :/

Hello, has anyone had their surgery with Kaiser in the Inland Empire? If so, can you tell me what steps you took to get approved by Kaiser? Who your pcp was? I'm switching to Kaiser January 1st and want to make sure I find a new primary care physician who is pro weight loss surgery, and want to make sure I do all I can to get approved. Thank you!!

Hello, has anyone had their surgery with Kaiser in the Inland Empire? If so, can you tell me what steps you took to get approved by Kaiser? Who your pcp was? I'm switching to Kaiser January 1st and want to make sure I find a new primary care physician who is pro weight loss surgery, and want to make sure I do all I can to get approved. Thank you!!

Hello. I'm Lauren. A little about myself ... If struggled with my weight my entire life, but it never really became a serious problem till the end of high school. I graduated weighing 230. At the time this was the highest I had ever weighed, depressed and hating myself I began trying diet after diet. Losing the weight, but always gaining it back plus an additional 10 lbs. I currently weigh 285 but my highest is 303 which was my weight this time last year. I was able to get myself down to 260 through diet and exercise, and am back climbing the weight ladder yet again. I'm 5'9 so my BMI is in the 42 range. I've recently began doing a lot of research on WLS. I'm switching my insurance to Kaiser come January 1st and my previous insurance (Blue Cross) wouldn't cover the procedure (there's a specific provision in my particular plan that excluded it). So I'll be meeting my new primary care physician hopefully in January and will be trying to convince him/her that I need the surgery. Any advise? Best way to get my doctor to see I need the surgery? To get my insurance to approve it? Tips for the process along the way? Any regrets or complications from the WLS you had if you've already had it? Anything would help! Thank you!!

Thank you so much for your response!! They normally cover it, but for some reason my specific plan excluded it so I had to switch insurance companies and the only other option I had was Kaiser. It seems their process will take some time. From what I read it looks like I'll need to take 3 months of nutrition classes and then pass all of the normal tests they require along with a psych test. My insurance goes into effect January 1st and I'll need to find a new primary in Kaiser. Just hoping whoever he/she is will be a doctor who's pro surgery

Okay. Definitely will! Thank you

How do you find out about those?

At least yours is only 8 weeks!!!

What the heck! Apparently I need to move! Lol

Good! Me neither. And we're about the same. I'm 5'9 and 285 and don't have diabetes or anything like that. So once you start the classes, does that mean you're approved?

Yeah. That's what I meant. Sorry not sure what it's called? Still getting used to the WLS lingo. Lol. I was just curious. I guess I'm worried about them not approving me. I'm just concerned. The last thing I want right now is for me to not be able to have the surgery

I'm really hoping it goes that quick. I feel like I'm trapped in my own body What are your stats if you don't mind me asking?

Lol. Oh there's some that have it worse. San Diego here in CA I read they have a 6 month class. I'd lose my mind!!

Your classes are only 8 out there? I'm jealous. I've heard ours are 12

Thank you!! I appreciate you responding

So Cal. Riverside to be exact

I'm hoping it'll go as smoothly for me! I'll be meeting my new primary care and requesting for him/her to refer me all in the same day so hopefully they're pro surgery

Anyone have any insight on Kaiser in So Cal (Inland Empire). Also what were the requirements for them to approve the surgery? Thank you!

Hi! Just curious if you had any information on the approval process for Kaiser? I'm switching in January and just want to make sure I have everything together so that I will hopefully be approved