How Long Did It Take You To Get A Surgery Date From The First Step Towards WLS?

I have tried to be patient, but I feel like I'm getting left in the dust. In January, I started talking to my doctor about WLS. Since then, I have met with the surgeon, attended the 4 months of mandatory nutritional counseling with a RD, attended 3 WLS Support Group Meetings  and asked for referrals from my doctor for a sleep study and other necessary tests (I'm not sure what other tests I need). All of these requirements must be completed before my surgeon's office will consider submitting my information to my insurance Company.

I literally have been trying to get this sleep study since March and still, the sleep lab has no record of a referral ever being sent over and my doctors office hasn't returned my calls. I have an appointment on Wednesday, so I will inquire again of course. 

Any suggestions of recommendations to help me move this process along? Am I being ridiculous? I'm curious as to what everyone's experience has been... Ready, and go....

I went to a seminar end of April, had my first appointment with the surgeon May 6th. Met with nutritionist, psych eval by end of May, Pulmonary, cardiology and my doc does an Endoscopy beginning of June. I did not need sleep study per pulmonologist. Went to support groups, and had to lose 15lbs. Surgery July 23rd. My insurance does not require referrals for specialists.... There were a lot of hoops to jump through. 

I will say it is taking you a long time. From being on these forums I see surgeons do the process in different ways. Many insurance require 6 months of supervised weight loss. Mine only required 6 months of weights, which I was able to get from my primary and my visits to surgeon's office. The office I was in, 3 months was average, unless people's insurance required otherwise.

I would think the sleep lab could call for the referral for you. Or call your Doctor's office and find out the protocol for referrals... maybe you are missing something. At this point I would write down the dates you make calls and who you talk to. This way you have a record.

My Surgeon's office gave out a checklist the first visit, and they went over it with you, and crossed out any that didn't apply to you.

Don't think you are crazy. Good Luck!

Here's a list of my pre-op timeline.  

9/1/2013 - Decision Day
9/13 - PCP
12/2 - Surgeon
12/11 – Nut #1
12/13 - PCP
1/2/2014 - Psych Eval
1/3 – Nut #2 (HW: 319, SMO)
1/7 – Endoscopy
2/12 - PCP for pre-op screening (EKG and blood work)
2/18 - Insurance approval!
2/19 - Started mental health therapy
2/21 - Stopped BCP pre-op
3/3-12 - Pre-op Diet
3/4 - Endoscopy #2
3/10 - Surgeon for Pre-op
3/11 - Pre-op nurse interview on the phone
3/13 - SURGERY!! (SW: 296)

Are you sure you need a sleep study? I didn't do one and still got approved. The surgeon's office recommended it, but the insurance didn't require it. Check your insurer's requirement. They'll give you a list.

I'm sorry it's taking you a long time.  But remember you can't compare your situation to others because everyone has different requirements.  

I went to the seminar at the end of April and had my consultation on May 8th with my surgeon, nutritionist, and exercise therapist.  I had an endoscopy done because I had heartburn and it was determined that I had a hiatal hernia.  My psych eval took the longest as the psych at the office was booked way in advance so after some waiting I decided to see someone outside of the bariatric group at the hospital and the Doctor I went to required 2 visits.  I didn't have to do any other testing such as a sleep study or anything until I went for my pre op testing the weekend before surgery.  I also didn't have to attend any other group meetings or attend nutritional counseling or lose any weight prior to surgery.  This is most likely because I didn't have any other major health conditions caused by my obesity although I did have a starting BMI of 49.  My surgery was July 30th.  So from my consult on May 8th - July 30th was how long it took me.  

Keep plugging away at it.  Be persistent.  You've put a lot of work into this and you deserve this for your health.  I'm sure in the end it'll be worth the frustration! 

Yes definitely every insurance and surgeon has different requirments! I'm still pre/op but I'm looking to be schuduled for surgery in December so far my process has been this 7/25/14 Refferral 9/6/14 Seminar 9/25 EKG 9/25 Chest X-ray 10/2 Phsyc Evaluation 10/11 Support Group 10/15 Pap Smear 10/16 Consultation (Surgeon,Dietitian,Program Cordinatior) 10/17 Liquid Diet (surgeon requies I lose 40lbs before surgery) 10/20 Cadiologist 11/5 Endoscopy 11/13 my paperwork will be submitted and last weight in.

My insurance required 6 months of weigh in also and November is my last one So from beginning to end its been 6months I'm almost certain I will be approved and the Endocopy is my last test I have to have so if all is clear with that, I should be ready for surgery by December. 

But CALL CALL CALL!! Bug the hell out of who ever you need to be talking to! Call your Dr. Office and make sure they sent your refferal, make them give you dates,  and the address and phone number to where you've been referred to! They love to give people the run around but you have to get on their ass's they will just sit around its not important to them! hopefully the ball will get rolling for you soon good luck!

3/21/2014 - Decision For Surgery
4/6/2014 - Seminar Required by Surgeon
4/28/2014 - Supervised Nutritionist Visit #1
5/8/2014 - First Surgeon Appointment 
5/29/2014 - Supervised Nutritionist Visit #2  

6/2/2014 - Psych Evaluation
6/26/2014 - Supervised Nutritionist Visit #3
7/24/3014 - Supervised Nutritionist Visit #4
8/28/2014 - Supervised Nutritionist Visit #5

9/15/2014 - Certified Dietician Appointment 

9/15/2014 - WLS Support Group Meeting

9/25/2014 - Supervised Nutritionist Visit #6

9/25/2014 - Full Blood Pannel for Surgeon
9/30/2014 - Request For Insurance Approval
10/12/2014 - Insurance Approval

10/21/2014 - Final Surgeon Appointment to Schedule Surgery (my surgeon has advised he schedules within a week to a week and a half from the Final appointment).

My total time has been 7 months to the date from the time I made the decision to have the surgery to my final appointment with the surgeon to schedule my surgery date. Thankfully I did not have to have any extra tests other than routine blood work for my Surgeon. All of the other items were Insurance Requirements. 

SW: 254, CW: 221

Will be scheduling my surgery tomorrow as long as there are no hiccups. Surgery should be within 1-2 weeks tops. 

Let's see...I called the surgeon's office in February and was scheduled for the first available informational seminar, which was April.  My surgeon's office took the reins after that point, scheduling all the other appointments I needed and I had the surgery in July.  So, from decision day to surgery day was approx. 5 months.

My intake was 4/30 and my surgery was 9/26. I did have some insurance issues in all of June and 1/2 July that added 6 weeks to my timeline. 

Well, I decided to call the surgeons office today to get a little more information and also to see what else I needed to do or if I was neglecting to do something to expedite this process. The woman I spoke with was super nice, which was refreshing, as my past experiences with this office haven't left me feeling comfortable because they are always in a rush. 

She told me that after my 4th nutrition appointment (which is tomorrow)  the nutritionist will give me clearance in written form and then that, along with the psych eval will be sent to my insurance company. I hope I passed the psych eval lol. Wouldn't it be nuts if all this time, I never passed the psych evaluation, which was done 6 months ago? 

Then the surgeon will determine if he wants me to undergo other testing that he feels might necessary, such as a sleep study and an endoscopy, but she said that the endoscopy and other labs are usually pretty quick. It's the sleep study that takes a long time to get because they book out so far. Problem is, I have been trying to book it since Feb and I think it's my doctors office that keeps dropping the ball. I have a lk appt at my primary care doctors office tomorrow as well, so when they called to confirm, I inquired about the sleep study referral again. The medical assistant said "oh, well it turns out it doesn't require a prior authorization after all, so you should hear from the sleep lab soon and your sleep study will be done at home."  I hope it's this simple.

So here's my thing. My insurance company had gotten a little stricter in the recent months. I have a BMI of 42, with no comorbalities that I know of  will this help or hurt me for approval?