I have Aetna, and I believe the requirements might be state specific, or the type of coverage you have with Aetna. I live in Ny and I had a 4 month weight in periods, then was approved. I started my liquid diet on 10/19/15, and my surgery was 11/4/15. To this date 3weeks later, I have lost 25lbs. Check your plan, or better yet the medical profession that will be doing the surgery will verify your coverage. Best of luck, it's worth the journey.