Getting Approval from Insurance

Hi All!

I am finally feeling like my journey is getting the kick off it needs. I just paid my program fee and will be waiting for the approval from the Insurance company ( Blue Shield)...

How long did it take for approval for any of you? When you were approved how long did you wait and what did you have to do before getting a surgery date?

you will find each of us has very different experiences with that. It just varies so much. I would go based on what your surgery coordinator at the office has told you. My insurance company took 10 days to approve. Then I had to wait for a final appt with the surgeon to sign consents and that took 2 weeks. Then surgery was scheduled for 3 weeks from that appt.

I agree with mimij - everyone's insurance is so different and it all depends on your individual insurance plan and whether or not your insurance has any WLS exclusions.

I was lucky. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan through my husband's employer, and our plan covers it 100% as long as your BMI was over 40 and you had accompanying comorbidities. And in that case you would have to do a 6-month supervised diet through your doctor.

However in my case, because my BMI is over 50, they waive the requirement for the 6-month supervised diet. So basically I picked the bariatric program that I wanted to use, have now done (almost) everything required of me through the program, and once I finish my last few appointments, I'll be good to schedule my surgery. No pre-approval needed.

I hope that this is the case for you as well, and I wish you luck on your journey! :)