Psychological Evaluations & Treatment

[LDM 0]

Hello gang,

I don't know if it's appropriate to post this here, but I've been reading some of the threads and, based on my own experience, feel like I have to say something about the psych eval process.

I was banded in October 2006 by Dr. Shah @ Lennox Hill in NYC. Since then, I've lost about 75 pounds -- and going!

Interestingly, I'm also a psychologist in San Francisco who now performs the pre-surgical evals and can say that the questions I ask and the things I look fore are MUCH different since the surgery. I don't think someone who hasn't actually had the surgery can relate as well to the emotional/psychological process before and AFTER the surgery. I don't believe MY evaluator understood me very well, and there was no opportunity to follow-up afterwards.

It makes me angry that most insurance companies refuse to pay for the psych eval, although I've heard that some centers have on-site evaluators that can accept insurance via the medical doctors. I do accept insurance, yet I have not stumbled across any that will authorize the evaluation yet.

As far as being denied for the surgery for psych reasons goes, I've only recommended that a few times, and only in cases where there was something major going on that was unrelated to the surgery process and needed to be addressed beforehand.

I can't stress enough that this isn't something to pass or fail, or a yes or no -- I like to stress that if you are "denied" because of the psych eval, it's more of an indicator of timing or stressors usually unrelated to the procedure but might prevent you from healing afterwards.

Just my 2 cents! Thanks!

[Lunabeane 2]

I think it's great that you are taking your role in the process so seriously...unfortunately that's not the case for many. My psych evaluation was in some ways offensive and in others ways comical. At times I was pretty sure that I was being punk'ed. I would have loved to have talked openly with a well prepared psychologist...but what I got was a quack that was doing an interview on the phone while I filled out my own mental health evaluation. My insurance covered the visit without question...infact, they paid for 9 visits that I didn't even attend! On my way out the door he told me that he was charging me for 10 visits but didn't want to see me again and handed me a stack of business cards to distribute to my friends!