How long did you wait for your approval?

[bjo 0]

I feel for you...I am on the edge of getting ready to submit for approval...seminar on 2/1/08...then I have to contact my center of excellence with UHS and she submitts all my info...my nurse stated to me once I call her and the seminar is done and dr. is chosen she submitts online and I will know within 24 hrs.

I sure hope this all works out...got a denial in 06 for bypass...was doing that on my own and was lost...now with new insurance company i have a nurse helping me out with everything....I will never forget one of the first things she said to me is that it is her job to make sure I get the end result I want....

So good luck to you!!

[Laurinda 1]

I know it is very hard to wait! Keep the follow up calls going. I started my Journey Jan 2007,went through the six month diet, the paper work and all the other things insurance wanted me to do. I expected to get my band July-Sept 2007. Seems I was a big paper work shuffle! It was a YEAR later Jan. 2008 but I FINALLY got my band! Good-Luck to you!

~Laurinda~

[BandLady 0]

I know it is very hard to wait! Keep the follow up calls going. I started my Journey Jan 2007,went through the six month diet, the paper work and all the other things insurance wanted me to do. I expected to get my band July-Sept 2007. Seems I was a big paper work shuffle! It was a YEAR later Jan. 2008 but I FINALLY got my band! Good-Luck to you!

~Laurinda~

Yeah, tedious and time-consuming process to obtain insurance approval. But hang in there, it will all be worth it in the end.

[mom007 0]

I have had my initial consult, did my cardiac stress test the same day, got my blood drawn for all the bloodwork Saturday and have faxed medical records requests to my doctors for my required 5 year obesity history. I have UHC Choice Plus and have spent all this time reading of folks who were approved in just a couple of days (Destiny79) with UHC. I spoke with the insurance coordinator at the surgeon's office this morning and she told me that it would probably take up to 30 days! Do ya'll think she just did this so I don't start calling her every day bugging her? I've already given myself a two week time frame for my doc's to get my weight history in so it can be submitted but I don't want to have to wait another month on top of that! I want to be banded ASAP!

Anyone else get told something similar and it only ended up taking a few days? Am I just being crazy and impatient?

[destiny79 0]

yeah they told me that 30 days stuff too....I called every single day I was losing sleep and my mind , I called every morning at 10:00am and on day 7 got the good news I really hope it goes fast for you ,I was also scared because I read thread were people said that they got denied fast and approval took 4 week but I was pressed for time because my Company was changing insurance providers at the end of the year prayers helped me and I will be praying for u guys .

[mom007 0]

Thanks Destiny. I know I still have to wait to get my weight history back from my Dr's but I'm hoping that shouldn't take too long. But once I know that everything is together and submitted I'll probably start calling and checking on it every other day. At least! I'll keep ya'll updated on the progress!

[lonestar5212 0]

God, why is this so hard??!!! I just want to scream. My surgery center is ready to submit all my stuff, but can't because we can't get a report faxed over from the nutritionist. I called her early this morning and the center called her as well, her response was, "she is on my list of stuff to fax." Period, that is it. When she gets around to it, it will get done basically. Keep in mind that my last visit with her was Jan. 9th. Surely there was time to fax sometime between the 9th and today. I am so frustrated with this process.

[Frustrated 1]

God, why is this so hard??!!! I just want to scream. My surgery center is ready to submit all my stuff, but can't because we can't get a report faxed over from the nutritionist. I called her early this morning and the center called her as well, her response was, "she is on my list of stuff to fax." Period, that is it. When she gets around to it, it will get done basically. Keep in mind that my last visit with her was Jan. 9th. Surely there was time to fax sometime between the 9th and today. I am so frustrated with this process.

If she's in your area, go to her office and tell her you're there to pick up the information and fax it yourself. Yes, you'll wait for her. It makes me so mad when we have to fight the red tape on top of everything else. :tongue:

[Danikagold 0]

Yes, that is a good idea. She has had more than enough time to prepare and fax her report/notes. Just stand there and wait until you have it in hand with a pleasant smile! If possible, you may want to find someone else for your team if she doesn't show a sense of urgency. Best of luck, and kill 'em with kindness and don't be taken.

[2gina 0]

ok I too am watiting for approval. Are you all calling your INC company or the place the Inc cordinater at the center were you will be haveing it done?

Georgetown KY is were I am plaining on haveing mine done.

And I thought I was to wait to hear back or call the Inc gal their not the INC company direct. Please let me konw.

Thanks

Gina

[lonestar5212 0]

Thanks for the suggestion, that is exactly what my husband proposed last night. That is exactly what I plan to do today. Thanks guys for responding and giving me the push I needed to do it.

[Frustrated 1]

ok I too am watiting for approval. Are you all calling your INC company or the place the Inc cordinater at the center were you will be haveing it done?

Georgetown KY is were I am plaining on haveing mine done.

And I thought I was to wait to hear back or call the Inc gal their not the INC company direct. Please let me konw.

Thanks

Gina

My doctor's coordinator had a message in her voicemail not to call her because she wouldn't have any news from the insurance company before I did. She told me they would send approval or denial letters to both me and them when they'd made their decision.

I contacted my insurance company. Not every day, but once a week after my first denial. They would tell me when I called that they had 30 days to make a decision and that one hadn't been made yet and not to call until that 30 days had lapsed. I said I'd call back the following week anyway and did. In the end my call on the 30th day gave me the information that my appeal was denied because my BMI was too low. I said "Wait one moment, my BMI was too low when I first applied, when I appealed it was over the limit." It turns out they denied my appeal based on the original records I'd sent. I was furious! I told them I'd called every week to ask if they had all the relevant information and was told every time that if they needed anything else they'd let me know. They have records of when you call and what's discussed, so perhaps they knew then that they were in the wrong. The woman I spoke with told me she would push it through to the appeals officer, rather than go through the whole "File another appeal and wait another 30 days" thing. That would have sent me round the bend. :rolleyes2: She called back within 48 hours as promised and told me my appeal had been successful and I'd been approved for surgery!

So I encourage everyone to call, call, call, call. The insurance company is the place to call once your docs have been filed, otherwise you ride the a$$ of the whomever is lagging with the paperwork to send to the insurance company.

[parrot0927 0]

i saw my surgeon on 11/5 and was approved on 11/8...anthem healthkeepers

[kaninag 35]

well. I'm still waiting for an approval...and I call call call!!!! CONSTANTLY!!!!!! these insurance ppl are pretty rude too...sometimes i'll get a really nice person and they'll tell me exactly whats going on....like this morning I called and the lady was like pending and thats all she would say....then I called this afternoon bc I am getting so close to my deadline and this girl said its still pending but if you want I can look and see why. and she said there was a note in there where the nurse had received all my paperwork and i should know something in 2-5 business days!!! Now why cant everyone else be as informative as her!!!!

[Frustrated 1]

Many of them have god complexes. :smile: