BCBS of Nebraska

Hello everyone,   I live in California but I have BCBS of Nebraska.  Does anyone know the requirements needed to have them approve you for gastric bypass?  I called ins. and they weren't very helpful, stated Dr has to get authorization.  Dr states I have to document my diet for 6 months before they can get authorization.  I was hoping this has changed.   Thanks, Valerie

I had to attend support group.  Attend informational seminar.  Have 6 months of monitored dietician/physican monitored diet.  Psych visits and test.  2 visits with surgeon.  Then submit for approval.   I only have 1 dietican visit left and the time has really prepared me to be suer I am doing the right thing.  Hope this has helped.

Did it seem like it took forever?  What to you have to do at the monitored dietician/physician?  And yes this has helped... thank you.  Has anyone else had any experiences?

I journal my food I eat everyday concentrating on Protein.  I journal my vitamins and calcium supplement and any exercise.  I take these to the dietician at the hospital once a month.  The time has actually went pretty fast.  Anymore questions please let me know.

1.  They need a detailed list of all your failed weightloss attempts.  What diet you went on, how long you were on that diet (month and year), how much weight you lost.  2.  A 5 year weight history to make sure you've been obese for that amount of time.  3.  A letter from you stating why you consider yourself a good candidate for surgery. 4.  Your own as well as family history of comorbidities.  5.  6 months of dietician visits. 6.  1 physical therapy session (to learn about exercise) 7.  Psychological testing (MMPI) 8.  EKG (to test for heart problems) It seems like a long list but the physical therapist, psychological testing, and EKG are all in one day.  The only thing that seems daunting are the 6 months of dietician visits, but they go by so fast and they teach you so much!  Well worth it!

call them and ask to send you a packet on what is required. 

*****HIJACK******* Hey Hon!  You only have about 2 weeks left to go!!!! WoooooHooooooooo!  Can ya see the light at the end of the tunnel?!?!?!

I know!  It's killin' me!!  i wi**** was tomorrow so it would be done and over with.  Oy!   I'm gonna go through my cupboards and get rid of all my crappy food so the liquid diet will be much easier to handle.  I"m so excited!!!!

Thanks for the info...I ask them to send me a packet.

I have BCBC of Texas, but live in MN and it gets billed through MN first. I had to do 6 months of some sort of diet that was followed or documented. So I chose to see a Dr. and a dietician to get everything over documented. I also had the Psych. eval. When you call your ins. company they should be able to give you a websit to look at the policy, you have that right. I printed the policy from the BCBC TX site and followed everything to the T and I was approved after the first attempt to them.  Good Luck.