3 month vs 6 month insurance requirment

So what's the difference between the two? 

Is the 6 month with your PCP and the 3 month with your surgeon? 

Do you pick your surgeon yourself? do you go thru all of the insurance thru them? 

which is easier? i'm confused! 

i guess what i'm asking is.. for anyone who's been thru one of the other - what's it like? what did you have to do? any experience you could share would be helpful thanks.. new here and stuff. 

all the best and thanks in advance

Lisa 

it really depends entirely on your insurance and surgeon' requiremental. 

Some companies require a 3 months and some a six. Some require none, but the surgeon requires one or the other.

yes, you would pick a surgeon who is on your insurance plan and their staff will walk you all the way thru whatever is required right up to getting a surgery date. 

Arr your sure your employer has bought the rider for bariatric coverage?

My insurance is Aetna- it covers the surgery-mine is "either" "or" so it's a choice for me- 3 months or 6... i know of surgeons in my network, (i've at least done that research) but when do i see them? my doctor is on board and i have an appointment to see him in a few months. i just don't know where to start. Do i make an appointment with a surgeon or do i go thru my doctor to jump thru the hoops first then see a surgeon? i'm just confused on the difference between the 3 or 6 month option as they both pretty much require the same thing- supervised diet and exercise, nutritionist.. doesn't mention a psyche eval so i dunno about that one.. I'm just fishing for experiences from those who have experienced either option. 

if it is "either or" then your surgeon would likely have a recommendation based on your BMI and comorbidities.

your surgeon's office will take you thru the hoops, not your pcp.

you need to get a list of coveredbariatric surgeons. Most every surgeon has a seminar explaining the surgeries they do and everything you need to know about their practice. These seminars are usually free but you must sign up for a spot.  After you go to as many different seminars as you want to, you choose the surgeon you feel most comfortable with. You will then get in touch with the office of that surgeon and they will take it from there with appointments , etc.

Thank you Ms Holly. :)

Here is how it worked for me with Aetna.

I could do six month with a dietitian and no exercise program or three months with a dietitian and supervised exercise.

I did three months with the dietitian and also submitted three months of documentation from Curves.

It may still be the same.

The current Aetna plan is either 6 months with dietitian or 3 months with dietitian and PCP. Here's the Aetna bulletin on it:

http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/100_199/0157.html

Thanks for sharing this.  I see that the 180 day program now includes exercise as well as nutritional counseling.

The hospital where I work is self insured, though an insurance company administers our plan.  

WLS requires 6 months of pre op classes, 6 nurse practitioner visits, three PT visits, three NUT visit, a psych evaluation and at least one f/u psych visit pre op. There are also various follow up visits at 3,6 and 12 months post op. The bariatric surgeons connected to the hospital prefer this treatment modality for all weight loss patients.