Hi, I have to first say that I am so happy to have discovered this site!  My wife and I have both been obese since childhood, and we are both considering surgery.  I am 32 years old, BMI = 47, known comorbidies include significant sleep apnea, shortness of breath, joint pain, and severe GERD that was corrected in '09 by hiatal hernia surgery.  It is clear that my obesity is affecting my health.

However, I have United Health Care Choice Plus, and "Surgical and non-surgical treatment of obesity" is bluntly listed in the exclusion section of my pollicy.  I called the customer service line and was told bariatric surgery was excluded an there was nothing I could do.  Does this mean a definite "no, don't even bother," or is this where letters from doctors, etc. can help?

Thanks a lot!
Mark

I am in my third month of the six month supervised diet with a doctor. I have not requested approval yet becuase I knew without it completed I would be denied. I am worrried because I keep gaining weight, I went on Adkins diet last year and restricted my carbs and sugars to less then 1 carb a day, I was desperate. After 9 months I lost 55 pounds, the thinnest I had been in over a decade, excpet when I was pregnant. I went off the diet becuase it stopped working, and I have gained 90 pounds in 8 months, I have been on the 3 month diet and have gained every month in the weigh in, I am going to the school fitness center with a personal trainer multiple times a week and doing cardio, and am now on phentrimine, with the dosage increased on month two. Will they disqualify me if I do not lose the 5%? It says in my policy that I am supposed to lose 5% from baseline as a result of the physician supervised diet, and I cant make my body do it. I come from a family of severly obese people, 400,500, 800lbs in some cases. I do not know if there is something in my genes, or if I ruined my metabolism further, but I am really worried.

Hello,


My insurance policy states that my 6 month diet should show a "failed" attempt to reduce the bmi.

Right now at am purposely holding at 40% bmi.  I would like to at least lose 10-15 pounds before surgery (hopefully May 2011).

Has anyone been denied because they went below 40%

My co-morbidities are Gerd, Joint pain, family history of diabetes, heart disease and hbp. (mom and sister).  I don't have any major co-morbidities and the UHC coordinator gave me a sketchy answer. She said I "should" be ok...  Sorry that answer is too vague.

Everything I have read/researched, is that VSG is only available through TriCare, if done on an MTF. If done with civilian, choices are band or RNY.

Did you get an answer to your question?Ii am in the same situation. I started mt diet January 26..I think my 3 months ends in April but my doctor office states it ends this month.