imPatiently Waiting

I started my profile last month but this is my first post. I started my road to RNY surgery last month. I found the brochure for OH in my surgeon's office and thought that if I was approved by my insurance company for surgery I would want as much support as I can get. This past Friday I got all my paperwork into my case manager & UR nurse to submit for approval and now I begin the waiting game. When I first started I was really optimistic that I would be approved, 225 lbs, BMI of 37.4, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Now I'm not so sure. I feel like if my BMI was higher or I was sicker it would be a slam dunk. Defeatist thinking I know but I'm not a very good waiter once I make my mind up about something. I've been reading alot about how to prepare for surgery but am reluctant to buy any thing like protein powder, vitamins, or stocking up on things I might need until I know I've been approved. Normal anxiety about getting approved? My husband is very supportive but is a patient waiter.

Wow!  How lucky are you that you're only at a month.  My insurance took 9 months of documentation, psych visits, dietician apts and basically an act of congress before even attempting to approve.    It took nearly a year to the day.  

I do understand how you feel. Once you make the choice to have WLS, you want it to happen ASAP. But, I want to suggest that for me, there were some benefits to that time.  The first was to really wrap my head around the significant lifestyle change I was making. The second was to give me time to research how to be successful long term - and to learn more about maintenance. There are a lot of emotional aspects to this surgery that are hard work.  

I think you're likely to be approved -- if not your first submission, on subsequent ones. You're smart not to buy too many things because practically, tastes can change very dramatically after surgery.  On the meantime, use this time you are waiting to prepare for the changes ahead. 

Good luck!!!

Do you meet your insurance company's criteria?  It's not a guessing game about who will and will not get approved.  With most insurance plans, if you have a BMI of 35 or above AND a comorbidity like high blood pressure, they cover WLS.  Is that the case with yours?  You only have to meet their criteria, you don't have to be extra sick or extra overweight.  If you meet the criteria of the policy you've been paying for, they have to cover your surgery.

Really a month my insurance approval from nut and psych took 10 months im just now getting surgery at May 7th i started at 343 im now 301 and just got everything in order and u think a month is being impatient try 10 and quitting smoking which i enjoyed.

I am a bit confused. You wrote you started this process just a month ago and it is already being submitted for approval. My insurance company required 6 months of documented nutritional sessions, psych veal and the surgeon's office required several other medical tests before submitting the paperwork for approval. Some insurance companies also require a specific weight loss to occur. It took me about a year from the info seminar to actual surgery. I found this time to be extremely helpful in getting me ready for the lifestyle changes which I was able to work on during the wait. Try to be patient and remember losing weight now means less to lose later.

I actually had my first appointment with my surgeon on Jan 18th and received insurance approval by March 4th....began my 2 week liver shrink diet that day and had my RNY surgery on March 18th!  The reason it went so quickly was I had been working with my PCP for the past year and I was able to get all the requirements rather quickly!  I had to do the psych eval, heart workup/stress test, required nutrional classes, and chest scan...but knocked them out in short order.  I was VERY surprised it happened so quickly!!  I am starting my 5th week now!

I had my first appointment October 4 and it was submitted to insurance Dec 5th and I have ssurgeryJan 14. Good luck! 

Thank you for your comments and helping put things in perspective. I probably should have included more. Once I made up my mind about having WLS I contacted my insurance company to find out what the requirements were and start a file with a case manager. I attended 3 seminars, including the one with my surgeon, attended the nutritional classes, had the psych eval, and documentation for 6 months from a doctor supervised weight loss program that are required by my insurance. My nurse case manager called this morning saying things looked good and they would be submitting for per review in the next day or so. You're right this would be a good time to begin making changes so I can be successful after surgery. Eating slower and not drinking with a meal I think would be one of the harder changes to make so now would be a good time start.