Allison4283

Hey there! I am in the same boat as you are. I am a single mom and I have my first appointment this coming Friday. I am so excited, but scared and nervous about the insurance requirements-I am hoping that the nurses will have some good news regarding the vague info that the insurance company has provided. In the meantime, I have just been going through all the posts on here soaking up knowledge on every topic that I can find. There is a lot of great info here! Good luck with your journey!

Congrats!! You look great! I wish you luck on the rest of your journey!

Hi everyone! I am new and SO glad I found this site! I have already gained so much knowledge reading through the forums. So. I got really excited because the company I work for added the bariatric surgery benefit to my coverage this year. However, they require a TWELVE MONTH supervised preoperative weight loss program. I have been overweight since elementary school. I have tried almost every diet known to man. I lose weight, then gain it all back-PLUS MORE! I have been researching bariatric surgery for years, so I expected a 3 to 6 month required diet. I just wasn't expecting a year. Has anyone else had this as a requirement and somehow got the time frame shortened? My BMI is in the 60's and I have comorbidities of sleep apnea, and I am borderline diabetic. My medical records show a steady increase of weight over the past 11 years. Help!

Thanks for the info. My coverage is through my employer and happens to be a self funded plan.....so the employer basically makes their own rules about benefits and they are specific to the company I work for-unlike if you had a standard BCBS of TN plan or something. There isn't another plan to switch to; the few options offered all cover bariatric surgery now. There's about 2 or 3 paragraphs describing the requirements, but it is still pretty vague. I am almost afraid to call and ask for more details about requirements-wouldn't that wave a red flag?

Hi there! I live in Nashville. I'm new to the site and just found this thread full of advice! Hope all you guys who sleeved in December are doing well! I just began my journey and I'm waiting on my first visit with St. Thomas Bariatrics in a few weeks. But, I am having a hard time finding reviews of people who have used St. Thomas. Who have you guys chosen, and why? Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

I'm in Nashville too! What hospital/surgeon did you go through? I'm just starting my journey, and don't know anyone who has done the sleeve. Sent from my SM-G900V using the BariatricPal App

It does NOT say consecutive. The wording specifically says: "Participant has complied for at least 12 months within the 15 month period prior to the scheduled surgery in such a program, which is documented in the medical record by the attending physician who supervised the Participant's participation at each visit" Kinda sounds a little off.... So I think my next step will be to gather my records from office visits in the past 15 months. I was in a program for several months that monitored my diet and exercise, but she was not a physician. Thanks for the info!