Just starting out

[dawnb]

I saw my dr today about surgery. The requirements for my insurance is 6 months supervised diet. My BMI is 42.1 right now, but I would assume over the next 6 months on his supervised diet I will lose weight. A 30 pound weight loss would put me under a BMI of 35 and my insurance will no longer cover this. While I want to lose weight in the next 6 months, isn't that sabotaging my efforts to get surgery?

 

[radiatedcrowe]

Hi Dawnb,

I had my first appointment yesterday as well and my insurance also requires a six month supervised diet prior to surgery. My surgeon told me that what that means is, there is no set weight goal or loss that needs to be done...just for the next six months I can not be bigger than I was at this first appointment.

I was told that this is a good time to start exercising (just walking) and changing eating habits that will need to be changed anyway after surgery.

Definitely talk to your surgeon or insurance and make sure it is true for you as it is for me.

Good luck on your journey!

 

[3momchaos]

My surgeons office will disqualify me if I lose 15 or more pounds by the end of July bc my BMI is 42. They basically said maintain where I’m at, a little weight fluctuation is normal, but I cant weigh more than my first appointment when I am at my last appointment. My patient liaison said they rarely have someone disqualified because of weight loss. They have more people have surgery postponed because of weight gain.

 

[TraceyT]

I saw my dr today about surgery. The requirements for my insurance is 6 months supervised diet. My BMI is 42.1 right now, but I would assume over the next 6 months on his supervised diet I will lose weight. A 30 pound weight loss would put me under a BMI of 35 and my insurance will no longer cover this. While I want to lose weight in the next 6 months, isn't that sabotaging my efforts to get surgery?

I was pretty much under the same weird requirements. It was from my insurance company. Most Dr's offices, hospitals, weight loss clinics have a person on staff that handles insurance companies. They are usually wonderful at their job - let them handle the insurance. Odds are good they've handled your insurance company before - if not they will become well acquainted.

Also - Dr's and other members of their team are used to all of these requirements. The "diet" I was on wasn't about losing weight - it was about me being able to do the work. Eat better - track my food - be aware of everything I was putting in my mouth - and the value it had or didn't have to my body.

Best of luck on your journey!!