How Often Should I Call The Insurance Company?

[kweenbee 2]

I talked to the insurance lady at my bariatric office today. Tomorrow (Wednesday) she will be submitting the paper work to the insurance company. I am getting closer and so excited. I have to have two surgeries one on my esophagus and the vertical sleeve. My Doctor is going to try to do both of them together. He will do the esophagus first and if all goes well than he will do the sleeve. I really, really need prayers that he can do both at the same time. If for some reason he can't I will have to wait 8 weeks after the esophagus is done to do the sleeve. I have a question she said I could start calling the insurance company after they are submitted on Wednesday. Did you contact your insurance company and how often? Thanks so much everyone!!

[mrscastillo 32]

I would call everyday but then again I'm a pain in the arse so idk haha

I would try either Thursday or Friday.... Depending on what state you live in, depends on how long they have to respond.... I live in California. By law, my insurance only gets 5 days to decide.....

[prettysleeved1 173]

Depends. I have UHC and had my approval letter less than a week after the office submitted my paperwork. I didn't have to call the insurance company. Some people have insurance companies that take forever +1. In that case, I'd wait a week because calling a day after they send it off is pointless, quite frankly; especially if they sent it by a method that is slow (ie. US mail, courier/messenger service). After 7 business days, they should have at least received it and then you can go from there.

[O.T.R. sleever 3,386]

Squeaky wheel........ Squeak squeak squeak squeak

[milkD 37]

I called mine a week after it was submitted. Found out I was approved but the approval never reached the doctor's office. They 'supposedly' called and sent the approval by regular mail so it would have taken till the following week or longer if I hadn't of bugged them.

[Ready4success 380]

Call on Friday, just to be sure your paperwork was accepted. Things get lost all the time, and I'd hate for you to wait a week thinking they have it, and they don't. Just ask if your paperwork was received and accepted. They accept if all the documentation is present, and they reject it if something is missing. I have Cigna, so I don't know if that makes a difference.

[Susie in Lima 320]

I have Cigna and they said that it would take 15 business days to respond, on the 16th day I contacted them and they stated that my email got pushed out because one of my attachments wouldn't open. I had received an email right after I sent it telling me that they had received it and that it would be 15 business days but never received an email stating that something had made it back out of the system. I really almost cried on the phone but I must say, the lady that was helping me, pushed it through to the medical review and they had me an answer in just a couple of days.

Moral of this story is....at least contact them a few days after the info is sent to make sure that they have at least received it all.

Good luck!

[kweenbee 2]

Everyone thank you very much for your advice. It has been very helpful. I haven't called the insurance company yet because the papers were sent today(Friday) instead of Wed. The reason being the bariatric office didn't have the clearance from my PCP. I was on the phone with my PCP immediately and kept calling everyone so this would get taken care of. So they are submitting the forms today! Yeah!!