tricare Is anyone on Ft. Campbell or Clarksville TN area or just using (TriCare) Insurance ?

[MGLAW142 10]

I was just wondering if anyone was around where I live that was going to be sleeved? Or is there any other military insurances users that can tell me more about how the military process is done?

[clk 3,519]

There's a group. It's not very active but the old threads have some useful information about Tricare. http://www.verticals...pouse-sleevers/

First step is to see your PCM to ask about WLS. If the hospital on base isn't doing the surgery, there is not a way to have it done unless you can get special permission to travel to another MTF. I've seen some folks post about this but can't recall if anyone was actually successful in getting approved to do this.

Tricare does not cover sleeve at all. However, MTFs do procedures that aren't Tricare covered all the time. If the MTF near you doesn't support this procedure, however, they will not refer you off post. If they do, you will wind up jumping hoops only to be denied.

There is hope that Tricare will begin covering this surgery (they currently cover bypass and band) but they have not yet and with budget concerns I do not see them actually expanding coverage like this with the next year, either.

Good luck. Perhaps one of those threads will have relevant info for Campbell. I was self pay because there was no way to get the surgery where I lived at the time.

~Cheri

[MGLAW142 10]

Thank you I went to the doctor on the 16th and was approved the following monday morning (22nd) and my first appointment with general surgery is Aug. 7th. There is a bariatrics clinic here on Ft. Campbell and the Doctor that runs the clinic is a Civilian with over 20+ years experience but he hasn't done a ton of sleeves which is kind of scary. I was just wondering the process in which I am going to have to use because I know it has to be different than civilian procedures if it's already starting off so quick.

[MGLAW142 10]

There's a group. It's not very active but the old threads have some useful information about Tricare. http://www.verticals...pouse-sleevers/

First step is to see your PCM to ask about WLS. If the hospital on base isn't doing the surgery, there is not a way to have it done unless you can get special permission to travel to another MTF. I've seen some folks post about this but can't recall if anyone was actually successful in getting approved to do this.

Tricare does not cover sleeve at all. However, MTFs do procedures that aren't Tricare covered all the time. If the MTF near you doesn't support this procedure, however, they will not refer you off post. If they do, you will wind up jumping hoops only to be denied.

There is hope that Tricare will begin covering this surgery (they currently cover bypass and band) but they have not yet and with budget concerns I do not see them actually expanding coverage like this with the next year, either.

Good luck. Perhaps one of those threads will have relevant info for Campbell. I was self pay because there was no way to get the surgery where I lived at the time.

~Cheri

Thank you I went to the doctor on the 16th and was approved the following monday morning (22nd) and my first appointment with general surgery is Aug. 7th. There is a bariatrics clinic here on Ft. Campbell and the Doctor that runs the clinic is a Civilian with over 20+ years experience but he hasn't done a ton of sleeves which is kind of scary. I was just wondering the process in which I am going to have to use because I know it has to be different than civilian procedures if it's already starting off so quick.

[clk 3,519]

Girl, you're way ahead of the curve here. Most folks that post take months just to get into the clinic to be seen by a surgeon, so I think you'll find that you're doing alright. I'm pretty sure that the stories I've read required a six month supervised diet OR proof that you'd given it a real shot in the past, a nutritionist visit, a psych eval and a whole battery of tests to be sure you're up to surgery.

Good luck!

~Cheri

[MGLAW142 10]

Girl, you're way ahead of the curve here. Most folks that post take months just to get into the clinic to be seen by a surgeon, so I think you'll find that you're doing alright. I'm pretty sure that the stories I've read required a six month supervised diet OR proof that you'd given it a real shot in the past, a nutritionist visit, a psych eval and a whole battery of tests to be sure you're up to surgery.

Good luck!

~Cheri

Well I have been working with my Primary Care doctor and a nutritionist for the last year I have went from 269 to 223 but over the last few months I've just hit a plateau and nothing is happening not gaining nor loosing so he suggested the surgery at my doctors visit on the 16th. He wanted me to do bypass but I looked at it and researched it and it's just not for me so I decided on the sleeve. Maybe that is why it didn't take as long to get me in because I had already been working with him and maintained my weight ???? I'm not sure. I just thought it was weird b.c everyone on here is having to wait months and even yrs to get approval.

[MGLAW142 10]

Girl, you're way ahead of the curve here. Most folks that post take months just to get into the clinic to be seen by a surgeon, so I think you'll find that you're doing alright. I'm pretty sure that the stories I've read required a six month supervised diet OR proof that you'd given it a real shot in the past, a nutritionist visit, a psych eval and a whole battery of tests to be sure you're up to surgery.

Good luck!

~Cheri

Also I saw where everyone says tricare doesn't cover the surgery but I got approved within two days time frame so I know that they at least offer the surgery if the post has a bariatric clinic.

[clk 3,519]

Ah, but there's the rub! Tricare isn't covering the surgery though the traditional channels and they will ONLY do so if the MTF has a bariatric clinic that performs the surgery. The distinction is small but necessary because we get a lot of folks here that don't have a MTF that will do this flabbergasted or frustrated because they're not referred off post for the procedure even though other people get it done at their local MTF. Also, we have seen more than a few people get that off post referral only to be denied after jumping hoops because Tricare won't cover the sleeve.

Same goes for vasectomy reversals. Not traditionally covered by Tricare. But if you go to a MTF where the urologist needs experience, they'll do one. Same again for IVF treatments. You can only get them at specific MTF locations - you cannot get an off post referral for this and have Tricare cover treatment.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do fine, and hopefully you'll get some good feedback. Unfortunately, many of our spouse sleevers aren't very active here.

~Cheri

[MGLAW142 10]

Ah' date=' but there's the rub! Tricare isn't covering the surgery though the traditional channels and they will ONLY do so if the MTF has a bariatric clinic that performs the surgery. The distinction is small but necessary because we get a lot of folks here that don't have a MTF that will do this flabbergasted or frustrated because they're not referred off post for the procedure even though other people get it done at their local MTF. Also, we have seen more than a few people get that off post referral only to be denied after jumping hoops because Tricare won't cover the sleeve.

Same goes for vasectomy reversals. Not traditionally covered by Tricare. But if you go to a MTF where the urologist needs experience, they'll do one. Same again for IVF treatments. You can only get them at specific MTF locations - you cannot get an off post referral for this and have Tricare cover treatment.

Good luck! I'm sure you'll do fine, and hopefully you'll get some good feedback. Unfortunately, many of our spouse sleevers aren't very active here.

~Cheri[/quote']

I'm very active with my children and have found that I love to exercise over the past year I've even started setting up a gym in my house and we are (husband and I) teaching my children to be healthy too. If it wasn't for hitting that plateau I'm sure my doctor wouldn't have even offered me the surgery. He just said that I have done everything that I could possibly do and that it is time to try something else