Question:
I have no diet history Per Se
My doctor said For my insurance to cover my W.L.S, they need one (1) of medical supervise diet history, I have PacificCare Alliance IPA,I cannot afford the diet program. So I wonder can I,do my own diet plan that consist of slimfast and save the receipts and daily logs to submit to my doctor. Thank you so much RuschellDawson — Ruschell (posted on June 2, 2003)
June 1, 2003
If I were you, If you want to do your own diet plan, that's fine. But, I
would give a copy of your plan to your PCP so that he can put it on your
chart. You will have to go back monthly (or whatever your insurance
requires) to get weighed in.
Most insurances just state that you have to have a medically supervised
diet. I did weight watchers (my PCP noted in my records that I was
starting WW) for six months and seen my PCP monthly during that time. I
was approved.
Good Luck
— Carolyn M.
June 1, 2003
I agree with the previous poster. My Dr. told me and charted it for 2
years that he recommened a low fat, low calorie diet. I did the slim fast
thing and he was superivising me for 2 years because each time we discussed
my diet.
— Lora T.
June 1, 2003
I wonder is this a requirement of your WLS/Primary Dr. or your insurance
make sure and ask??? If it is your insurance then I dont see a way of
getting out of it. If it is just a Dr. requirement then you may be able to
get around it by switching Dr.'s. I didnt need a diet history at all since
my BMI was high enough. I got insurance approval within 2 days. It pays
to check out all your options especially if you can get a surgery date
sooner. Good luck to you. Wendi
— lovemonterey
June 2, 2003
The key word here is "medically supervised". Make sure you have
a copy of your insurance plan's criteria. Find out if there's a time
criteria, such as a 12-week diet. Once you find out what the parameters
are, discuss them with your PCP. Work with your doc to make sure you're
following all the rules. Insurance companies are notorious for being
sticklers...if they say they want 26 weeks of diet history, and you only
have 12, then they can deny you. It's always best to have a hardcopy in
hand of what your insurance company requires. Hugs, Joy
— [Deactivated Member]
June 2, 2003
I balked at this insurance requirement as well... mine said, "a
physician-supervised nutrition and exercise program documented in the
medical record" (Aetna) and it had to be for at least 6 months. When
I showed this to my endocrinologist, she said "oh, we've been doing
this ever since you came to see me two years ago". I kept thinking it
had to be at least six months of actually SEEING a nutritionist and somehow
documenting my exercise program (my membership to my company gym), but she
had a good point: how would they know if you're even *going* to the gym, or
*following* the advice of your nutritionist. She felt that she had been
documenting my weight and discussing it with me during my appointments over
the course of two years... and references to these conversations were in my
medical file, so she felt that was adequate. Granted, every insurance
company is different and you'll be reviewed by an actual PERSON, so who
know what they will consider to be "reasonable" as documentation.
Good luck!
— Kelly T.
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