PCP vs SURGEON

[SC Mtn Girl 0]

Hi everyone,

I am on my 3rd month of my supervised diet, but I haven't even met the surgeon yet. My PCP wants me to wait??? Does this sound right? Seems like it will just prolong a process that I have been excited about for a year!!!!

Any suggestions??? :-)))

[kll724 3,055]

I think you should have already met your surgeon. I had to have the surgeon's office to do the preliminaries. At the very least, you should have already had your seminar. Do you know who your surgeon is? I started the other way, I guess if you need your PCP to do a referral, then you are on teh right track. Good luck. Karen

[Phranp 46]

To get the answer to your question I think you should read the requirements that your insurance puts forth for lapband surgery. I have BCBS of CA and on their website it sets out eveything you must do to have lapband surgery. Like Kll724 said, if you need a referral from your PCP then you will likely have to jump through your docs hoops. But, I believe it is best to be your own advocate and check it out for yourself. Find out from your insurance what the requirements really are and move forward from there.

Good luck to you!

~Fran

[SC Mtn Girl 0]

Thanks so much for responding! Yes, I do need a referral....my doc responded to an email I sent her, and she said has already submitted authorization to the insurance

company for me to start the process...:-))) I am just so

excited!

[Noturningback15 45]

I did a 6 month supervised diet with my PCP and made sure all of my qualifications were met before I met with the lapband doctor. I think I met with him on Feb 2nd 2010 and had my surgery on Feb 23. He was able to submit my paperwork to the insurance company a few days later because I had already did everything. I found this process easy.

[Dawn200321 146]

I met with the surgens office first. They checked my ins to see what was required. I had to do a 4 month supervised diet. I did meet with my surgen twice while I was in the process of my supervised diet. I dont know why your pcp wants you to wait? I have heard of that before though. Every doctor is different.

[FLHgal 68]

I met my surgeon first, I had a gastric bypass back in 1978, when it was all still new.

He needed to do an E-scope to make sure the band would be the best choice. I asked about a revision for the bypass, he indicated he always does the band on previous bypass patients.

Don't get me wrong the bypass worked well until 7 years ago when we lost our son. food food food, reaching for comfort. If I would have been a drinker I would have been in treatment 6 years ago.

Life is full of what ifs.....and sweet memories.