submitting to insurance

I have surgery on Dec. 1 and it hasn't been submitted to the insurance yet.

Should I be worried? I FINALLY talked to the scheduler at UMN today (as she does not return phone calls so you just have to call until you pin her down) and she hasn't finished submitting for November surgeries yet.

Given that it theoretically could take 15 days for my insurance to even approve it, I could be past my surgery date before I even have an approval.

And I'm really scared that at the last minute I won't have approval and will then have to rearrange everything I've set up with my employer and every thing else.  I shouldn't have to worry about approval but I could never get the surgery scheduler to call my insurance for the exact requirements and my insurance wouldn't give them to me. They just kept telling me to have the surgeon's office call. Based on a co-worker's experience, I think I've completed everything but still have no idea.

Did this happen to anyone else? Where you were getting approval so close to your surgery date?

OMG this is causing me so much stress I'm ready to cancel the surgery and go somewhere else.

Thanks,
Anna

the insurance company should tell YOU want the requirement are.  You are paying them for coverage.  Ask your HR dept for a copy of your summary plan description that might help as well. 

Once it get submitted, keep calling the insurance company and get on their case to hurry and and approve it.

You can go anywhere for surgery, but you'd have even longer to wait (in theory) by starting over and cause yourself added stress.  Take a deep breath and relax.  It will be ok.  Really.

Who is your insurer?

BCBS (of OH, KY and IN)

I was able to find a document on their website that seemed to give the requirements, didn't list any supervised weight loss requirements, which is my biggest concern, though I do have 2 months in of that now.

I tried looking on their website for you and it has to be one of the least user friendly websites I have ever used. I didn't get anywhere with it.

I would call your customer service dept again and if they can't tell you /refuse to tell you what the requirements are, I would ask to speak to a supervisor imediately.

Sorry they have been so uncooperative. Best of  luck!

Oops, forgot to mention it's anthem bcbs. Sorry. At work and darn customers actually want help, can you imagine?

That is a bunch of crock!!!  IF *I* were you *I* would march my butt down to that office and hunt her down and WATCH her submitt!!!  You have made plans with your employer tell her!!!  Squeaky wheel gets the oil!
HUGS

I don't get why they wouldn't submit first, then schedule once approved.  Seems ass backwards to me.  I'm sure you're stressing, especially since you've made plans already with work to be off during a certain period of time.  Sorry to hear it's so been such a struggle with UMN.  It shouldn't have to be, YOU'RE their CUSTOMER.   Insurance should be able to tell you specifically what they require over the phone, and the WLS people who work with the insurers usually are quite familiar with what's required.  Again... Sorry you have to deal with all that.  Keep us updated.

Hello,

I did have to cancel my surgery due to problems with insurance.
I was originally scheduled for February 13th and had to move it out to March 12th.
Although, my issue was with a change in the policy  that had taken place on the first of January.

BCBS of Minnesota required a 6 month supervised diet plan .

Good Luck!

~Michelle