Tricare reserve select-south

[mal0712 101]

Hi yaw! I was wondering if anyone has recently had surgury using tricare reserve select. I went online and read where you must complete the 6 month diet, have Comorbidities, etc, but then I read ehere people were getting the surguries within months?! I was wondering how your experience was and how hard it was to get approved. A little background about me

29, 3 kids, 335lbs, bmi of 57.5, only Comorbidities as of now is sleep apnea and depression.... how much of a fight do you guys think I'm in for ????

[ProjectMe 909]

@@mal0712 I got my sleeve surgery through a military program through a major military hospital. Orientation was in June, 3 nutrition classes, psych visit, surgeon visit...then surgery on Dec. 16th. When I started in June, my BMI was 38 with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, Water retention and pre-diabetic. So, yes, it took about 6 months.

[mal0712 101]

Did they require the diet part?

[ProjectMe 909]

Not sure what you mean? If talking about during the nutrition classes and psych visit..,the nutritionist recommends that you begin some of the lifestyle changes and also recommends that you lose some of the weight prior to surgery, My program wanted to see a loss of some kind. If you gained weight during this process you would be denied the surgery.

Two weeks prior to surgery there is an all liquid diet, After the surgery, two weeks again of liquids. Then next two weeks are puréed foods. The next two weeks are soft foods...then whatever your new sleeve can tolerate after that.

Hope I've answered your question

Edited January 11, 2015 by ProjectMe

[mal0712 101]

Oh ok! Some insurances require A 6 month superived diet where u show u did not do well on it. The website says it's required, but many have said they didn't have to show that

[ProjectMe 909]

Oh I understand. They had us fill out a questionnaire packet and it did ask you to list the weight loss attempts. The psychologist takes a look at it and asks some questions about why things didn't work, what's different now, etc.

[mal0712 101]

On tricare website it sys it wants u to list things like weight watchers, Jenny craig, and doctor documented attempts. I've been on and off diets since I was 15! The diets judt arent documented on a monrhly basis! I just turned 29 and I've been over weight since 1st grade...

[ProjectMe 909]

Definitely list it all! Make it so they can't say no. Good Luck!