6 month Diet Visits

[hudjess 95]

Were your diet visits with a registered dietitian or pcp? I am asking because I have completed my 6 months and switched to a new place and they are saying that it does not count if it is with a registered dietitian. But insurance is saying that it does count because they are licensed. I am freaking out over here. Ive done more than 6 months anyways, I have been doing this since January and my doctor referred me to see a dietitian. Thank you.

[bia1nca1 38]

My insurance required either my paperwork or a registered dietitian. Fortunately the bariatric practice has a licensed dietitian although I did notice that when they billed the insurance company for the 6 sessions, it was billed under one of the bariatric doctors in the practice. Not sure what that was about. My visits with her were less than 10 minutes except for the first one.

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[bia1nca1 38]

I meant pcp or registered dietitian

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[KristenLe 5,979]

@@hudjess If your insurance is okay with it - I don't see why there would be any issues.

[hudjess 95]

@@hudjess If your insurance is okay with it - I don't see why there would be any issues.

That's exactly what I said but the new place is very adamant and Im feeling like I made a mistake with them but the other place was very unprofessional they were bullies and made me feel like crap because of my fluctuating weight. I have bad anxiety and I dreaded going to them even if I was a pound off. They told me to lose 15lbs

I lost 14 in 2.5 weeks and then i had an appointment and they told me that I was doing something wrong because I did not lose the 15lbs or more. They were very disheartening.

[blizair09 3,250]

My insurance required six diet visits, and I met with a nurse practitioner with my surgeon's practice for the first five months and the surgeon himself for the sixth month. My first visit was March 3; my sixth visit was August 10; my PCP surgical clearance was August 23; I was scheduled on August 29, and my surgery is next Wednesday, September 28.

I'm sorry to hear that the folks at your diet visits have made you feel that way. Oddly enough, mine acted like having to go through the process of the six visits was a pain. They weren't invested at all in me losing weight pre-op, and it wasn't until the third month (when I had lost over 40 pounds), that they even took real notice. All in all though, I have lost over 95 pounds pre-op. They became more and more interested as the months went on. (Although I still feel that they look at the surgery as the main feature of the weight loss journey, whereas I look at it more like the supporting tool of the second half of the journey and the lifetime maintenance...)

I hope you can find a situation that makes you more comfortable and that can empower you to make the most of the six month diet. I am thankful for it every day. I would not be as prepared mentally or physically to deal with the realities of this upcoming surgery had I not had that experience.

Best wishes to you!!

[Dee755 20]

Wow thats unbelievable i lose 5-6 a month and not the 8-12 they had said the loss should be. Its only a guideline they use. Everyone is diff turned out i have a slow T3 anyways personally i would speak to someone with authority or change facilities if you could. I go in for my 6 month mtg with surgeon this week.

[heidikat72 935]

I used the dietician at my surgeon's office - i also met with the surgeon each visit. I could have used my PCP but the surgeon's office warned us that often a PCP will end up just writing one report at the end rather than an individual report for each month and then insurance won't accept it. When the surgeon's office billed my insurance for the 6 monthly visits with the dietician they did bill it as appointments with the surgeon (who I also met with each time) because typically insurance policies won't pay for dieticians.

[hudjess 95]

My insurance required six diet visits, and I met with a nurse practitioner with my surgeon's practice for the first five months and the surgeon himself for the sixth month. My first visit was March 3; my sixth visit was August 10; my PCP surgical clearance was August 23; I was scheduled on August 29, and my surgery is next Wednesday, September 28.

I'm sorry to hear that the folks at your diet visits have made you feel that way. Oddly enough, mine acted like having to go through the process of the six visits was a pain. They weren't invested at all in me losing weight pre-op, and it wasn't until the third month (when I had lost over 40 pounds), that they even took real notice. All in all though, I have lost over 95 pounds pre-op. They became more and more interested as the months went on. (Although I still feel that they look at the surgery as the main feature of the weight loss journey, whereas I look at it more like the supporting tool of the second half of the journey and the lifetime maintenance...)

I hope you can find a situation that makes you more comfortable and that can empower you to make the most of the six month diet. I am thankful for it every day. I would not be as prepared mentally or physically to deal with the realities of this upcoming surgery had I not had that experience.

Best wishes to you!!

Thank you, my PCP referred me to the weight loss clinic and then basically told me to go to them for everything including the dietitian visits. Im wondering If we did this all wrong because the new clinic said they will submit to insurance but it will get denied because I did not see a nurse practitioner or PCP instead I saw a registered dietitian. I just don't get why a registered dietitian at a weight loss center is not sufficient enough. And I saw my pcp for 4 months and also saw them as well because sometimes I was doubling on my appointments with them both.

[QueenOfTheTamazons 634]

My insurance required the 6 months as well, but my doctor was 1.5 hours away. I would pretty much have to take a day off work to go see him, so I arranged to do the monthly appointments with my PCP.

Fast forward 8 months and the insurance company is denying me because they say I didnt do my 6 months correctly. That there wasnt a record that we discussed diet and exercise. I ended up spending weeks fighting with them and having to get my PCP to write a letter and submitting one myself.

Moral of my story... if you have access to a dietician and its not going to break the bank, use that instead of a PCP. It might save you some hassle and tears down the line.

[KristenLe 5,979]

@@hudjess The dietitian at the weight loss center should be fine for supervised weight loss. I can't imagine that will be a problem. Call your insurance and ask.