PammyC

Hi all. I've finally committed to getting Sleeved. I have a few questions because I'm a little uninformed on 1) the process to get started 2) the process/options with my insurance. The basic info: 30 years old, live in Los Angeles. Lifelong overweight and dieter, currently about 300 and 5' 3". I've tried medically supervised weight loss before (Kaiser), but I don't have ANY comorbidities. I might have very mild sleep apnea, but will obviously have to get tested for that. Insurance: right now I have Medi-Cal with LA Healthcare. 1) What is the process to get started? - I've never been to my current PCP. Is it possible to get a referral from her on the first visit? lol. Should I have Kaiser send her all of my medical history before I go? According to her reviews, it takes forever to get appointments with her, so I would really like to knock out as much as possible in as few visits as possible. 2) How does the referral work? - Pardon my extreme ignorance here. I've had Kaiser for my whole life, so I've never had to deal with referrals like this. Whenever I do get a referral, is it a referral that allows me to go directly to a bariatric surgeon? I already have a surgeon in mind, so it would be nice to just get the sign off from a PCP and go straight to him. 3) What if my insurance changes over the next few months? - The slightly more complicated part - I'm unemployed right now. I was laid off from my job in November and that's why I'm currently on Medi-Cal. I'm hoping to start a new job in the next few months, HOPEFULLY. And with a new job will come new insurance. Has anyone ever had experience with switching insurance in the middle of bariatric process? I actually think getting the surgery approved through Medi-Cal/Medicare is a lot easier and faster than it is with private insurance companies, so I'd like to do it under my current insurance, but have no idea if it will be fast enough. 4) What about weightloss centers instead of Primary Care Physicians? - I saw someone elsewhere mention that she took a class at a weight loss center and her insurance approved surgery via their recommendation/request. She was covered by Medicare, didn't pay much out of pocket, and was scheduled within 2 or 3 months. Is this a better option in regard to timeliness? I'm in LA, the city of vanity, so there are a billion different kinds of weight loss centers and I'm not sure which would be the type to recommend me for surgery (i.e. a lot of them want to keep you on the schedule to pay a bunch of money for B12 shots). Any suggestions here?

Thanks to you both! The whole process with my insurance is so convoluted and confusing, but I think I've got it mostly figured out. I have an appointment scheduled with my PCP and will be sending all of my previous medical history to him before the appt. Other than that, we'll see what happens! Thanks again.

Okay, that makes sense to me! Thank you for that information! Would you say the same goes for finding PCP who have a reputation for handling patients who have bariatric or obesity focused needs? I haven't particularly searched to see if there are any, but it was in the back of my mind. The PCP I'm looking at now just has a reputation for being progressive in treatment and actually listening to what patients need. That sounds favorable to me, but thought I may be able to shoot for the stars lol

I'm finding this whole insurance thing pretty convoluted and a little confusing. I've had Kaiser for my whole life, so dealing with networks, medical groups, referrals and yada yada is a new thing for me. Hopefully someone can clarify this for me: I'm interested in a particular surgeon, Dr. Quebbemann in Los Angeles. I don't have a primary care physician yet. I have Medi-Cal (with LA Healthcare) though, and Quebbemann does take Medi-Cal. I just spoke to an agent from LA Healthcare and she said it's unlikely that Quebbemann would see me if my PCP isn't in the same medical group as him. Is my best option to call Quebbemann's office and see what Medi-Cal doctors he recommends? I'm not dead set on Quebbemann, but I saw such great reviews of him and he would be a great fit. But I'm happy to explore other options. Seeing as how I don't have a PCP yet, my options are practically wide open. Should I start by finding a surgeon I want and work backwards? Or should I just pick a PCP and see what surgeons will be able to work with me based on that?

I posted a very very long time ago about how to go through the process of getting a lap band, but that's all lost somewhere on this wild internet. I just have a question about how to start the process going. I went to my doctor a few months ago and asked about getting the lap band. She told me to "come back in 6 months" and signed me up for, what I believe was, a one time class. Which I didn't get to go to. I've lost a few pounds on my own, but nothing really significant. So my question is what do I do now? I'm not sure what she is expecting from me, or what to expect from her. Do I go back and tell her that I really want to have this procedure done? Or just ask for a referral? Or maybe circumnavigate my doctor and somehow find a surgeon first, and go through their requirements. Anyway, I guess it all comes down to this...I think my doctor may be resistant to this, but I feel that it's really the only thing that can help me after years of battling with my weight. How do I get her to go along with it? And to make it worse, the clock is ticking, my insurance will be up in a little over a year, so I'd like to get the big stuff out of the way while it's still covered. by the way, I have Kaiser Permanente and I'm in SoCal.

Thanks for the responses everyone! Now my only question would be how to find a surgeon in my area that is covered by Kaiser. I could swear I a forum category about difference insurance options, but now I cant find it. So yes, that's the question. Where do I go to find out what doctors are available that are covered by Kaiser Permanente's insurance. Again, I love in SoCal.

Hello everyone, I'm new here! I haven't started the process of pursuing the lap band, but I would like to as soon as possible. I have insurance through Kaiser Permanente. Assuming that they do cover the procedure, which I think they will considering my mom is a nurse and I have amazing insurance, where do I turn to? Should I bring up the topic with my doctor, or should I go to a surgeon for a consultation. And also, what doctors would yall recommend. I'm in southern california in the Los Angeles and Orange County area. I guess that is my question for now. Just how to take the first step. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hello everybody! I have luckily stumbled across this forum and I'm so glad I did. It seems nearly impossible to find decent, organized information about Lap Band on the internet. I have yet to start the whole process of actually discussing the procedure with a doctor, but I did ask my insurance (Kaiser) if it is covered. I've browsed the forums a bit and it seems that it is covered through KP. So now I am wondering what my first steps should be in the Lap Band process. What doctor should I talk to about this procedure? After that initial discussion I'm guessing I'd be referred somewhere. I'm just trying to get the gist of the beginning of the (what seems like a long) process. I guess, basically, I just need to know who is the first person I need to talk to in order to get the ball rolling.