Peeille

Hey all I'm worried about qualifying for my insurance to cover me. I have no comorbidities, and my bmi fluctuates from 38-40.6. I'm currently at 39.9, and meet my PCP on Monday. Does my bmi have to be 40 when I ask my pcp for approval and a referral, or does my BMI have to be 40 when I meet the surgeon? I have meridian health (Illinois medicaid) for my insurance, if that makes a difference. I appreciate some insight. This forum has been so helpful!

I've talked to my insurance and they won't help me navigate this. All I've gotten is that I need approval from my pcp. I asked what steps I could do before my appointment and they said that my pcp will handle everything. But looking online it says either I need a bmi of 40 or greater, or 35 with a comorbidity. Need psych evals, 6 months of dirt, nutrition counseling, loss of 10% of bodyweight before surgery...etc. I'm hoping that they are able to use my weight at my next appointment, so I can start taking care of myself and begin losing that 10%. I'm just so worried that they will want me to keep at a bmi of 40 and not get started until after I meet with my surgeon.