So what happens during the supervised diet?

[HunnyBun 2]

Hey guys I have news.

I finally decided to go forth with the process of getting the band. In a few short months I too will be a bandster!

So... When I talked to the super sweet lady at my doctor's office she scheduled me for a seminar on June 5th. Then she told me that every patient must go through 16 weeks of supervised diet before surgery. She said I will have to see a dietician every week and some weeks a psychologist. She said most patients lose about 20-30 lbs during this time. Since my BMI is 48, I will still qualify for surgery even with the loss of 30 lbs. She said that when they submit the paperwork with proof of a supervised diet they will not get declined by my insurance. She also told me that my insurance is easy to deal with and will give me an answer within two weeks after the paperwork is submitted.

I am not super happy about having to wait, but not sad either. I guess I'm just anxious.

Has anyone done a supervised diet before surgery? What happened during the meetings? What was expected of you? Did you lose weight? How do you feel about it now that you're done? If you could go back and have surgery without the diet, would you skip it?

What should I expect?

Thanks!!!

[Elisabethsew 50]

Most insurance companies want 6 months of a supervised diet. Insurance companies view "supervised" as a diet plan that requires "weekly weight checks" by an MD. Sometimes the MDs give you a printed diet to follow and sometimes they send you to a registered dietician (anyone can call themselves a nutritionist).

What insurance companies want (or don't want) to see is that you are unable to maintain a weight loss on a medically supervised diet. If you can lose a lot of weight and keep it off, they won't pay for the lapband surgery.

[sleepyjean 0]

She said that when they submit the paperwork with proof of a supervised diet they will not get declined by my insurance. She also told me that my insurance is easy to deal with and will give me an answer within two weeks after the paperwork is submitted.

When I first started pursuing the band, I had Healthnet insurance. Then in January I had to switch to Blue Cross. Healthnet was a major pain, but Blue Cross has been an absolute dream to deal with. But neither company required a doctor-supervised diet. (And at that point I had no medical history whatsoever. Last time I had a physical was 10+ years ago.)

I'm sure the lady you spoke to is right, but it never hurts to do your own research. If I were you, I'd call your insurance co. directly and find out exactly what their policy/requirements are and what you are covered for. Get them to fax or mail it to you in writing if possible. It's important to know what is required by your insurance company vs. what is required by that particular lap band program. I've read too many stories here about people who met all of their requirements and were ready to schedule the surgery, only to be met with even more obstacles and hurdles to jump.

[bluehill 0]

16 weeks of supervised diet before surgery... see a dietician every week and some weeks a psychologist

Wow, that's a very rigid (and costly) regimen! My doctor did not require any pre-op diet (Burritt Haag, Springfield, MA), and I didn't even hear about such a thing until I came to this forum. My requirements were two visits with a nutritionist and a psychologist, plus attendance at two lap-band support-group meetings. Coverage by my insuror, United Health Care, came quickly and without incident.