Question:
Has anyone not heard from insurance until just before surgery?
I am scheduled for surgery next week, and have yet to hear from insurance. Has anyone else had this happen, and what was the outcome? Thanks — Sarah P. (posted on April 4, 2002)
April 4, 2002
Did you get a verbal approval (over the phone or did your surgeon's office
say they had one)? I never heard anything from my insurance company.
Never got a letter or anything. I only knew I was approved when I called
the hospital to find out if they'd heard anything. Good luck and God
Bless!
— Kimberly L.
April 4, 2002
I didn't get approval until 11:00am the day before my surgery. My Surgeon
called me as soon as the insurance company faxed over my pre-certification.
It didn't give me much time to prepare but I made it to the hospital less
than 24 hours after I got approval! Good luck!
— Chloe S.
April 4, 2002
Call your insurance company right away!!!! I am a nurse at an insurance
company and do procedure approvals- once the insurance gets the paperwork
it only takes a few days, often just a few hours. Many times doctors tell
you that they are waiting to hear and they never even submitted the
paperwork! They don't want to look bad so they blame the insurance
company.
— Melissa B.
April 4, 2002
I am in contact with my insurance company (or what I like to call, the evil
spawn-company of satan) pretty much daily. They recieved my paperwork
probably 3-4 weeks ago. Last week they requested a psych eval...I
submitted that, then they said they needed a psych eval and a nutritionist
eval. I hadn't had a nutritionist eval, so I called them back asking for
the name of a nutritionist in my plan, and they said I didn't need a
nutritionist eval, but rather a diet history (which obviously was submitted
with the original information). So I called again, and it was back to the
nutritionist eval. Round and round we went. FINALLY today I spoke with a
coherant person (didn't know they hired these types of people - intelligent
ones), and she informed me what I needed, and I was able to e-mail it to
her this afternoon, and have my doctor fax over the thing they needed from
him also.
This was all very good, except that approx. 2 min later, my doctors office
called and said they needed to give my spot away becuase we still had no
approval for surgery. So, when I call tomorrow, hopefully I will be able
to find out if I am approved or not, and if I am, then I can have surgery
next Saturday, rather than Wednesday.
It's been a frustrating time with the spawn-company, but, that which does
not kill me, may turn me into a legislator against all insurance
companies!!!! Sorry for the drama, and thanks for the responces. If
anyone else has anything to add or say..please, feel free!
— Sarah P.
April 6, 2002
Funny you ask this. My approval was down to the WIRE - it came on Monday
afternooon and my surgery was Thursday. It's too long a story to go into,
but let's just say I practically got an ulcer the week before! Luckily, my
wonderful nurse/case worker know how anxious I was to know, so she called
me within FOUR HOURS of getting the last bit of evaluation they needed. I
am now two days post-op and doing well. All I can say is hang in there...I
know it's hard cause I was just where you are a week ago. Good luck!
— rebeccamayhew
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