How long did you have to wait?

I've decided to take the plunge. I've got a BMI of 45 and the usual laundry list of co-morbidities. I need that negative reinforcement to keep me eating the way I know I should be!

So I start step 1 this weekend, which is the required seminar for the clinic I chose. I've been through the seminar at another clinic before, so I wish I didn't have to attend this, but I'll jump through the hoops they want. :D

So for those of you who have had the surgery or have a date assigned: how long between the time you went in for initial consult & your surgery date? I won't be held up by insurance since I'm paying out of pocket (my insurance flat out refuses to cover this).

I'm not in a huge rush, but I did hope to have it by the end of Sept. Is that wildly unrealistic? Are there usually long waiting lists for Lap Band surgery? Or is the wait more about having all the tests run?

exactly 3 months from the date of the seminar.
I think it was about 4 or 5 weeks from the consult.

It took me about 3 months because there are so many appointments. Pray that you don't have to have the sleep study but if you do be prepared to have lots of gunk in your hair.

The thing that is slowing me down the most is that I tested positive for h pylori bacteria when they did my endoscope. So with 2 weeks of antibiotics to take and another 6 weeks after to wait to be "retested" to make sure it is gone, before my paperwork is completed. I started this journey in May.

Melissa

As a self-pay there won't be much if anything to hold you up. If all your medical ducks are in a row you can probably schedule surgery within a couple of weeks. There are no long waiting lists for banding surgery--it's still WAY less popular than RNY, sad to say.

LOL at the gunk in your hair on the sleep study. I have done several of these and I've been on cpap since '96. Hopefully I won't have to do another one for the surgery, since my last one was a year or so ago and my weight has not changed much since then.

I do know if I do this band I'll have to have them again as I lose weight, to readjust the pressure downwards. Yippee! :D One of my goals is to get rid of the darn machine altogether -- I would love to snuggly with DH at night and be able to go on vacations without wondering if I'll be able to plug my machine in near the bed.

molly...just a question i want to ask...pm me if u dont want to post it...but why wouldnt your insurance pay?? Am i missing something can they actually refuse not to pay?

Fee, once again everyone's insurance is different and there are lots of reasons a carrier might not want to cover this surgery. Some plans simply flat out exclude coverage for obesity treatment of any kind. Some others exclude obesity treatment, UNLESS the patient has a diagnosis of morbid obesity (that is, a BMI of 40, or 35 with comorbidities), so proving that diagnosis becomes key. Yet other carriers will cover bariatric surgery, but only certain types--some consider the Lap Band too new to be a covered treatment. (It was FDA-approved in the U.S. in 2001, and some carriers wait another 5 years or so before adopting new treatments in their covered benefits.)

What is your situation? Do you know if your carrier will cover the surgery?

i spoke to my insurance company awhile ago but i didnt go into too much info with them at the time.

my surgeon said as long as you have the insurance everything will be fine

im going to ring my insurance company tomorrow and just make sure that i am able to get it as you said some might not cover for some reason or another....thanks for helping........fee

Some insurance carriers (many, as it seems!) just flat out refuse to cover bariatric surgery period. Some will cover the RNY but not Lap Band.

I also payed out of pocket for my surgery. I had the seminar one week & had the surgery on the next week. It was really quick! Good luck & welcome!............Jess:banana :banana :banana :banana :banana :banana

Hi Guys,
Just a note on insurance companies. I called mine (Anthem BCBS) a week and a half ago and was told that that the coverage for the wls was excluded last year on my policy. I called the person who handles the insurance at my DH company. I questioned her about it being excluded. Her answers just didn't feel right to me in my gut. I continued to question her and even asked her if my husband's Dr, recommended that due to his health he needed to have the surgery would they still deny it? She said she would call them and let me know what their response was.
When she called she said that only under specific circumstances would they cover it. When she faxed me the copies these circumstances are the ones we all must meet. BMI of 40 or less with comorbidities. In other words THEY DO COVER WLS. My insurance company was not forthcoming with me. I have read many times that we must not give up on getting our insurance companies to cover this very effective surgery.

I am trying to have my band the latter part of September after ai complete all of the testing. I just know that I have tried EVERYTHING as we all have and hope this will be the tool that will enable me to maintain good health and enhance my quality of life.

Good luck to you all and thank you all so much for being there.

The Other Linda

Hey -- just wanted to add that YES, it looks like I will get insurance coverage after all for my surgery!! When I went in for the appts, the ladies at the clinic told me that they had gotten my insurance to cover others so they were sure they could get them to cover me. Woot!