It's taking so long

[Guest maguilar]

I went to my doctor (Spievak in Houston) and was found to qualify as a candidate for the Lap Band surgery which made me incredibly happy and excited. A month and a half later I still have no news about my insurance if my surgery was approved or denied, if they will pay or not or how much. Does it normally take this long?

I'M FRUSTRATED, I FINALLY MUSTERED UP ALL THE COURAGE I COULD FIND AND THIS DELAY IS MAKING ME NERVOUS AGAIN.

[Alexandra 55]

Hi Maguilar,

In most states there is a mandate for carriers as to how long they can take to make coverage decisions. I mean, they're essentially making a decision that will effect whether or not you get necessary medical care, so they owe it to you to make it in a reasonable amount of time. 30 days seems to be about average.

Have you called the carrier to make sure they have all the information they need? In most cases delays like this are due to one or two pieces of information being missing and no one caring enough to make the phone calls. So it's up to the patient to make sure everything is collected, submitted, and is moving through the system correctly.

Don't just sit and twiddle your thumbs in frustration. Call your carrier! You have a right to a decision in a reasonable amount of time. Good luck!!

[Guest maguilar]

thanks for your response, you're totally right and I'm taking your advise, I'm calling today,

Wish me luck!