pbrown

I have Aetna also and they wat a 6 month diet supervised by a dr. I have tried several diets on my own and never lost much only to gain it and then some all back. ( Weight Watchers, Adkins, etc) Also was on phen pen under a dr. supervision, lost that weight and gained it back when they took it off the market. I'm tired of trying and will not be set up to fail again on a 6 month diet. I most likely would loose a minimal amount of weight and wind up re-gaining it which probably would mean another year before they might consider it. No certainty of that. So I may just have to do the 11,000.00 self pay.

I have been waiting for 3 weeks to get approval from my insurance company. Today I learned that my records were missing the 6 month dr. supervised diet. I have never used a dr. to supervise my diet , but have attended Weight Watchers and lost a few pounds and then gained them back. I was on more of a supervised diet when the dr. gave me phen pnen. I lost 60 pounds, almost at goal at that point 8 years ago. Then they took it off the market. I gained back that weight and 20 pounds more over the last 8 years. Four years ago as I was continuing to gain weight back they put me on phentermine and an antidepressent which I was told in combination might help me to loose, but it didn't do a thing. Last January I tried Adkins for one month and lost 2 pounds and it was so restrictive I just gave it up as I wasn't really loosing at a regular rate. it took me all summer when I was on Weight Wathcers to loose 10 pounds, years ago. So...not only is loosing the weight difficult, but what weight I do loose comes back plus more. So, I am not really interested in setting myself up for failure with a 6 month diet supervised by a dr.. I might loose a few pounds in 6 months, but, I have a histoy of gaining the weight back. I may just have to do a self pay at $11,000, if they say I need to do the 6 month diet deal. This is very frustrating at 230 pounds, as I am also trying to do something so that I don't follow the road my mother is on at 83 years of age overweight and is diabetic has had two knee replacements and two back surgeries. I too have back issues with a bulging disk that I have received therapy for on two different occasions. The dr.'s office is supposed to be talking with my insurance about the "missing" paper work, ie 6-month supervised diet. She will call me when she catches up with them as she left them a message today to see what all we were missing. I know this point will be their "out" from having to cover this surgery. I think at that point self pay will be my only answer.

Well, today is June 22 and I have not yet heard from the surgeons office reguarding coverage from our insurance.They had not even looked at my records yet as of June 6th. I am going out of town for 2-3 days so will call them next week when I get back. I am anxious to get this done. They now are also doing the surgery in Idaho Falls, an hour away from where we live. I forsee many other cities offering this procedure in the near future.

Well, today is June 22 and I have not yet heard from the surgeons office reguarding coverage from our insurance.They had not even looked at my records yet as of June 6th. I am going out of town for 2-3 days so will call them next week when I get back. I am anxious to get this done. They now are also doing the surgery in Idaho Falls, an hour away from where we live. I forsee many other cities offering this procedure in the near future.

Hello All, I was orginally told by the gal who submitts my records to the insurance company from the surgeon's office, that it takes from 3-10 days to get an answer from insurance. She had turned in my records last week as I was to have been banded today( Thursday, june 8th) . When I called on Tuesday to see oif she had talked to Aetna, she said she had and they had not looked at my records yet so we would have to postpone my surgery until we hear from them. I asked her how long does that takes and she said "they never will tell us" maybe a couple of weeks. Not sure where I go from here. Any ideas??? Just wondering if anyone else had met with this same situation? I guess I will call back to the surgeon's office in a couple of weeks and see if they have heard any thing more. Or I could call directly myself to the insurance, not quite sure which way to go, in as much as the surgeon's office made the initial request so I would kind of feel like I was butting in.

Well,today, June 8th was the day that I was scheduled to have the banding done. After a call two days ago to my surgeon's office they informed me that Aetna hasn't even looked at my records yet so we willl have to postpone the surgery until we hear from them. She said it could be a couple of weeks yet. She had just sent in my records to the insurance last week. I really wondered if this was going to happen as quickly as we had planned, after reading other people's stories about having to keep bugging their insurance for an answer. I hope that they won't wait too long to decide. I will continue to keep with the high protien diet, but know it won't be easy , not knowing when the surgery will be done. The 700 calorie a day diet is pretty limiting.

Well,today, June 8th was the day that I was scheduled to have the banding done. After a call two days ago to my surgeon's office they informed me that Aetna hasn't even looked at my records yet so we willl have to postpone the surgery until we hear from them. She said it could be a couple of weeks yet. She had just sent in my records to the insurance last week. I really wondered if this was going to happen as quickly as we had planned, after reading other people's stories about having to keep bugging their insurance for an answer. I hope that they won't wait too long to decide. I will continue to keep with the high protien diet, but know it won't be easy , not knowing when the surgery will be done. The 700 calorie a day diet is pretty limiting.

What kind of diet did your Dr. put you on for pre-op? Mine has had me on a 700 calorie high protein low carb for 2 weeks. Hope I do indeed have the surgery done next Thursday as planned (June 8th). Waiting to hear from my insurance company at this point. Will be out of town until next Tuesday so will have to check back with the Drs. office at the beginning of next week. It would be nice to know how to plan.

May 30- I am on my second week of a high protein diet. I have been to see the Dr. and have talked to all of the pre-op people. I have a banding date set for June 8th. I will call tomorrow to see if the Dr. office has sent in my infor to Aetna. I hope they will approve even though my husband says we can do a self pay, if not. It costs $15,000. for self pay. I plan to have the surgery done at Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot, Idaho about 30 minutes from where we live. I have been reading many banding success stories as well as stories of complications! That part is a little worrisome. Slippage sounds like a big deal and might mean the removal of the band. Current BMI 38.4 Weight 228:)

May 30- I am on my second week of a high protein diet. I have been to see the Dr. and have talked to all of the pre-op people. I have a banding date set for June 8th. I will call tomorrow to see if the Dr. office has sent in my infor to Aetna. I hope they will approve even though my husband says we can do a self pay, if not. It costs $15,000. for self pay. I plan to have the surgery done at Bingham Memorial Hospital in Blackfoot, Idaho about 30 minutes from where we live. I have been reading many banding success stories as well as stories of complications! That part is a little worrisome. Slippage sounds like a big deal and might mean the removal of the band. Current BMI 38.4 Weight 228:)

Hi 3Loves, I have had the Magic Bullet blender for 2 years now and I really love it. It also comes with a juicer. It even grinds coffee beans! Made fresh squeezed lemonade with it yesterday! Everyone should have this for their kitchen! so easy to use and to clean. I would reccomend this especially for those that have upcoming lapband surgery. pbrown

Hi Linda, Thanks for the invite! I am usually running errands most of the time as my mom doesn't get around much anymore to do much shopping etc. Yes, I do have a pre-op diet of high protien 700 calories a day for two weeks prior to the sugery to shrink the liver. I am not really nervous about the surgery, but anxious to get it done. thanks

Hi All, I am scheduled for the banding on June 8th . I am from Pocatello and am having the surgery done in Blackfoot, the nearest place at Bingham Memorial Hospital. Have been to see all the needed people and my health records reside with the surgeon. So after my last psyc appointment tomorrow everything will be sent to the insurance. I really hope that they will cover it. Just got off of the forum of people who have needed to be unbanded!!! Yikes!!! I hope they are few and far between as I thought for the most part that this was a surgery to last a life time, with progress and not a step back. This doctor has not done alot of banding, but those he has banded thus far are very happy with the results. I am ready to join in. Glad there is a place to talk to other Idaho banded people. I am orginally from Boise, but moved to Pocatello when I started college and met my husband and I've lived here now for 32 years! I still go to Boise to help my 83 year old widowed mother about every 2 months!

I am looking forward to my banding on June 8th. Have seen the surgeon, nutritionist, physical therapy gal and psychiatrist and had the blood tests and chest x-ray etc. Now after tomorrows second visit with the psyc they will send the records in to the insurance company for approval. That is the big deal. I hope they will cover it. I have heard great things come from this surgery. I know it will invlove many changes in what can be eaten, but I am really ready for this change.