What is your situation, meaning weight-wise? Do you have a BMI over 40? If not, do you have a BMI of 35-39 with diabetes, high blood pressure, or sleep apnea? 

Get this one, I have GERD so bad that it has eaten a hole in my esophagus. I suffer with heart burn so badly that I literally feel like I am having a heart attack on a nightly basis (mind you, I am only 38 years old). My BMI was 38.5 and they had me go through the 6 months of preop just to tell me that my GERD was not significant enough to cover my WLS. I had been on meds for 10 years with no help whatsoever, EGDs, etc. So, I have my last preop appt and I actually gained 5 pounds, which is very, very bad. They don't want you to gain weight because then you show that you probably cant keep to a bariatric diet afterwards.

I get a call from my surgeon telling me that I have to have another weigh in (2 months after all my preop appointments), and she asked if I thought I had gained more weight. I told her probably not enough to bring my BMI up to 40 for my insurance to consider approval, and she actually sounded like it was hopeless!! So, I ate like a pig for 2 days, weighed in, and ended up with a BMI of 40.2. My insurance approved me 2 days later. What the heck? I am glad that I am finally approved, but really? I feel like I had to slip downhill in order to get them to approve me. You think they would have been happy with me losing weight, not gaining it!

Got approved by UMR insurance, exactly 2 months after my 6-month preop appointments with dietary and physical therapy. Originally I was told that if I didn't have a BMI of 40, it would be a tough approval. (I had a BMI of 38.5). They said that if I had a BMI of 35 to 39.9 with a medical comorbidity they would cover it. After going through the 6 months of noncovered very expensive dietician and physical therapy visits, they called my surgeon to tell me that they would not use GERD (my only medical comorbidity) as a reason. Really?? Like they couldn't tell me that before I spent thousands of dollars on preop appointments? Well anyways, in the meantime I was put on a medication that caused a little bit of weight gain, just enough to get me to 40 BMI (7 pounds). I came in at 40.2, so they approved me within 2 days after that appointment. Never in my life have I ever been happy that I gained weight! So, those of you who are on the border for qualifying, DON'T GIVE UP! My surgery is scheduled for 4/11. and by the way, I was told it is pretty difficult to get WLS approved by UMR if you don't have a ton of obesity-related issues.

I hope the person that said they cover is right.  I went to see a plastic surgeon and with everything I need, they told me I need to get either rashes or pain documented for 3 months consecutively before they will turn it in into BSBS.  I started out over 400 lbs and lost almost 200. I was told I need my arms done, breast lift, TT, and LBL.  Maybe I need to see a different plastic surgeon!  Good luck!!

 It only two weeks for Medical Mutual to approve me. It was very quick. Good luck!!!!!

I think they want to see that you are capable of following the diet post-op. My insurance (UHC) wants to see you lose 5% of your body weight in that 3 months.