This is a cross-post from the main board - I thought some sleevers would have more insight on what is "normal" - especially with the paperwork that doesn't say "sleeve" business. ;)

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I just met with the surgeon yesterday.  I loved the surgeon, but wasn't wild about the bariatric coordinator or the office in general. I guess I wanted to just "talk it out" a bit here to see if my concern are valid or if I'm just not being realisitic in expectations. 

First, I am likely going to get the sleeve.   All of their materials said lap-band and gatric bypass.  Like, all the forms I had to sign referred to the band and the RNY.   I know the sleeve is a newer procedure, but it really turned me off that they hadn't updated their forms to include all the surgeries they offer.

Second, before my appointment they had me call my insurance company and find out what they cover - and fill out of form explaining coverage.  I had no problem with this, and I think every patient should take responsibility for knowing what is covered by their insurance plan.  I got the name of a rep who said I needed 6 months of diets - and it would have to be documented. I asked her if receipts from a meal delivery diet service would suffice and she said "yes".  So I collected receipts and put together this tidy little 6-months of diet "proof" that I thought might work.   Well, the coordinator wouldn't even take it and said that I needed to fax that to the insurance company myself.  Is that normal?  I don't mind doing some legwork, but I thought that the submission would ultimately come from my doctor's office.

Now, I really connected with the surgeon and I think he would be great.  But, I am not totally sure that this place is the right place for me.

There is another surgeon that is a bit closer to me.  He has a very active support group (which he attends himself), a great hospital, etc.  This could be a "grass is always greener" situation.

My husband thinks I should go check out this other place.  I feel bad, like I'm jerking around this first surgeon to go to this first appointment and then change my mind about him --  but, really, I don't think he'll be up at night worrying about it. LOL! 

The monthly support groups for surgeon A are about 1 1/2 hour drive for me.  Monthly support groups (acutally happen twice monthly) for surgeon B are 50 minutes away. 

I guess I just need some help in thinking this all out.  Would you be turned off by the forms not being  updated to include the sleeve, or is that just being petty and silly?  Is it unusal for the patient to need to fax the insurance info in themselves, or is that typical?

Thanks for any thoughts, and for reading all this rambling.

all i can share is my experience, when it came to the paperwork, the office took care of everything!! even when my denial came in, they are the ones who appealed it for me :) as far as looking into multiple doctors. i say DO IT!! this is yur life, your comfort, you need to be 100% sure about who is going to be cutting into you lol.
best of luck

You need to find a doctor you're comfortable with and who has experience performing the VSG. I would not recommend you be any doctors first sleeve patient.

A capable and informed Insurance Coordinator is also important. These are the people who will go to bat for you with the insurance company if there are issues with the VSG, payments and approvals. Generally, they deal with the insurance. It is unusual that they would not want to handle the insurance processing and request you send the information directly to the insurance.

Too often you hear about doctors who have no information about the VSG and just give you the same data they provide an RYN patient. The VSG and RYN are not the same and the information for post-op care is not interchangeable.

Good luck,
George

I'm not sure about the forms. 

My surgeon's office also had me contact the insurance and ask about a bunch of stuff and fill out a form with the answers.  I was fine with that.

My surgeon's office submits the documentation of the pre-approval diet efforts, but I think that's b/c they conduct the meetings and such themselves.  If I went to Weigh****chers or some outside vendor, I would understand needing to submit that myself. 

Having said all that, I think it would be worth your time to meet the other doctor since the follow up would be easier.  I'd probably miss support group meetings if I had to drive 1.5 hours for them. 

Thank you so much for your responses!!!  It's making me feel more empowered to go and check out this other surgeon.

I wouldn't be this guy's first sleeve, but the fact that there material doesn't mention the sleeve tells me they either haven't updated their forms or they don't do many of them - neither is a good thing I guess.

It's so lame/weird of me to even thing "oh, but I don't want to make them feel bad that I didn't go with them" and shop around for another surgeon.  Why would this thought even cross my mind?  I'm only sharing it here to be totally honest  -  i wouldn't voice it IRL i don't think.   It must be part of that low-self esteem desire to please others.   In reality, no one at that office probably even remembers me today, much less will they give it a second thought if they don't hear from me again.  

I think I will call the other surgeon.  I may have to pay out of pocket, because I don't know if my insuarnce compnay would pay for two consults.  But a few hundred dollars out of pocket would be well worth it to be sure I am confident in my surgeon.  And, most importantly, the aftercare!

Thank you all, I think I just needed that little push and reassurance that it was OK to check out another surgeon.  I'm not sure why I needed it, but thanks for giving it to me.

My surgeon's office took care of everything too. I didn't have to deal with my insurance company at all. Sounds like they want you to do all the legwork. Get another doctor that has a more organized team. A support group post-op is key. It will probably save you a lot of time and stress in the long run. Good luck!!

I would recommend listening to you instincts! They are usually right.
Good luck on your journey

This is a tough enough process even WITH a supportive insurance coordinator and experienced surgeon. I say go out and shop. If you don't like a mechanic's estimate or they feel shady, you go get another one. If your lawyer quotes you too high a price or you don't feel like they'd do a good job representing you, you go find another one. This is no different.

From the moment I called my surgeon's office, I knew I was in good hands.  I originally went in with my PCP's order for a RnY. The surgeon asked me why the RnY instead of the sleeve.  When I told him I knew nothing about the sleeve, he gave me a 5 minute discussion on the differences and why he felt the sleeve was the best decision for me.  He actually sent me here to this website and asked me to do my research because he wanted what was best for me.  

His office coordinator took care of my appointments and paperwork, and his insurance coordinator was in constant communication of where we were.  The day she receievd the approval letter she was calling about next steps for pre-op clearance and discussing my surgery date.

I think had the experience been more like yours, I would have walked away.  I hope this other surgeon's office is more organized and patient friendly.  This is a HUGE decision, and the more support you get, the better!  I even saw my surgeon after surgery, yesterday, and then early this morning before I left.  He was invested in every step of my progress.

I say shop around and listed to your gut. :) Pun slightly intended.

Amy

 I paid $600 just for a consultation with the first surgeon I went to. Then she sent me a letter saying she was moving to another city. It was a drive I could have done, but I have to say I am glad I didn't. I was out that $600 plus another fee she billed me for that day.  But I did get one very positive thing out of it. At the time I thought my insurance did not cover the sleeve and she told me they had just changed to include it, so she is the one who got me thinking about this surgery as right for me. 

I didn't go back to find another surgeon for almost a year, but when I did I was much more impressed with not only the surgeon, but his whole office. His staff handled the paperwork with the insurance, and I had very little trouble. They were there to answer questions and to help me get it all done in a timely manner.