Consult with Dr. Geller
For the 6 months MWM (medical weight management) also known as physician supervised diet, make sure your internist documents the following as a minimum at each visit. I have seen patients denied for surgery because the internist hasn't recorded enough detail in the monthly visits.
- Document Weight at each visit, record height as well
- Document the diagnosis of morbid obesity, which is ICD-9 278.01
and the medical problems that are believed to be related to obesity, such
as sleep apnea, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, arthritis,
heartburn, etc...
- Document a specific plan regardiing diet AND exercise.
Such as 2000 calorie diet, or low-carbohydrate diet including # grams/day
and a plan for exercise.
- Document consideration for prescription weight loss medications. They don't need
to prescribe them but at least consider why or why not they are using them.
The insurance companies don't want to see a summary letter. They want to see the notes from each of the 6 (or whatever the length is) months of physician supervised diet.
I just reviewed an insurance policy today which requires 4 pounds weight loss per month and failure to lose 12 pounds per 3 months results in PERMANENT DENIAL for weight loss surgery.
David Geller, MD
Bariatric Surgeons of Kentuckiana
Medical Director of Norton Suburban Hospital Bariatric Surgery Program
4001 Dutchmans Lane, 1E
Louisville, KY 40207
(502) 893-7151, fax 893-7020
[email protected]
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