Anyone have United Healthcare insurace--How Long??
Here’s my UHC timeline (you’re gonna be sorry you asked):
June 2007: went to surgery info session. Decided that’s what I want to do
July 2007: called UHC and asked about requirements for surgery. Was told I needed proof of five years of obesity (easy), a PCP referral (easy), to find a bariatric center of excellence (done), and have a psych eval (easy). I asked specifically do I need to do the 6 mos. diet? They said no. I proceed to get all necessary documents, do all necessary visits, make arrangements to have surgery late August/early Sept. Surgeon’s office submits all docs for approval
August 2007: I get a call from UHC’s bariatric coordination center from a nurse who says, “this all looks great. Now once you’re finished your 6 mos. diet you’re good to go!" WTF??? I asked specifically about the diet and they said no. She said the rule changed. Like yesterday or something. I wasn’t against doing the diet it’s just that this was not an easy logistical endeavor for me. I’m a single mom. My children’s father lives in another state. It’s not easy to find someone to take care of your kids and to request that much time off of work. I grudgingly said ok and they told me that I could date my diet retroactively to the date I first saw the NUT which was in July, which put my surgery in Jan.
Sept 2007: I continue my diet and check in with the nurse at UHC.
Oct 2007: I get a call from the same nurse saying, “hey guess what? Rule changed again! You can go ahead and schedule before the end of the year!" WTF??? So I cussed that heifer out…told her all my plans were to have the surgery in January and that I was having my damn surgery in January. I don’t have the luxury of just up and rearranging my life with no notice.
Nov 2007: Had to re-do my PCP/surgery consult because both had expired. My PCP found that I had a slightly irregular heartbeat so she referred me to a cardiologist. Surgeon thought it’d be funny to make me think I’d have to do a liquid diet around Christmas (and then said psyche…I was not amused.)
Dec 2007: I did a 2 day stress test and it came out fine. Prepared for surgery
Jan 8, 2008: Had RNY gastric bypass surgery
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
Do you have any regrets doing the surgery?RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
RNY Gastric Bypass 1-8-08 350/327/200 (HW/SW/CW). I spend most of my time playing with my food over at Bariatric Foodie - check me out!
I was also ambivilant about having the surgery for a long time. Decided I'd do the 6 month diet - partly because my company required it and partly to convince/prove to myself that diet wasn't going to work for me (I've never lost weight on any diet I've been on).
Finished the diet in June, finally decided I needed the surgery but was sent on a two month-long assignment to another state with work. Ended up submitting the request to the insurance company with all the documentation in mid-Sep and was approved within a week of submission.
Surgeon's office required a few clearances and I was in the middle of heavy duty PT for lymphedema, so between all that mess I didn't get all the clearances done until the end of October. My surgeon could have scheduled me within a week - but I decided I may as well wait until the "slow period" at work began - which is Dec. Had the surgery Dec 1.
I had no trouble with UHC at all - they were incredibly helpful - even reauthorized within a day since the original approval had expired.
My initial appointment with the weight loss surgeon was 9/5/07
The scheduling nurse called me 10/23/07 to schedule the surgery. I chose the monday after Thanksgiving, 11/26/07, for my surgery (it was my turn to cook the family dinner).
UHC is usually a great insurance company.
Good luck!
~Believe in Yourself~
