Cigna approved finally!

After being denied twice, I received the letter today from Cigna saying that they have approved my surgery! I can't believe it! I should have my surgery date on Monday!

I was denied by CIGNA twice as well before being approved. It's a great feeling. Congrats. If they want you to be out of the hospital in under 24 hours (which was the case for me), be sure you do exactly that or else CIGNA won't pay.

Yes, I think that is what they require unless there are major complications and hopefully that won't happen. My plan requires it to be in a hospital and not a surgery center, which is fine with me.

Congratulations! That is great news!
I got my surgery date. It is April 24th. I have gone from excitement to being nervous. It is coming up so soon. My doc only requires 2 days of liquids so that is a plus.

yea! I am approved! I got the authorization number and all. Earlier today they said I had to do the 6 month diet program over.... The insurance clerk sent more information and BAM... the overturned the denial!. I have a date! May 14! Good luck to all of you and don't give up!

I just got my surgery date, it is May 22. I am excited, but also very nervous. I am not sure how many days preop I will have to be on liquids. I go next week for the preop class, so I am guessing they will tell me then. Now I just have to come up with all the money for the coinsurance!

Congratulations Carrie, looks like we won't be far apart. I am so excited. You mentioned co-insurance. I think I only have to pay $100 to the hospital and then a co-pay to the Dr of $25. I will begin a Low carb diet on the 1st of May and then liquids for 2 days before surgery! I am so happy!

That's great that you only have to pay $100. The doctor's office has been jerking me around. I don't think the insurance cooridinator even knows what she is doing. On the initial consult, they told me I would have to pay $1000 for a program fee. Then when I went to the nutrition eval, they told me that I wouldn't have to pay all of my coinsurance before surgery. They said I would have to pay $750 1 week before surgery and the rest would be due within 6 months. That was all fine with me, I have saved up all the money. But now they are telling me that I have to pay ALL of the coinsurance before sugery. So I am very confused. I don't know if I can come up with all of it at once. I don't see how they can make me pay all of it at once. I am going to have to talk to her supervisor or someone else that knows what they are doing.

Carrie, What type of plan do you have. I have a POS through the state of Tennessee. I teach for a college here. I am so glad :biggrin2: I chose the Cigna plan, because if I had chosen Blue Cross/Blue Shield I would have had to pay 20%. Since my Doc and Hospital are "in network" I only have a CO-Pay. I wish you luck! Keep me informed!

Hey Ladies,

I was recently submitted to Cigna for Lap Band Last week. I live in Vermont. How do I get a hold of someone to find out if I am approved, I hear you all talking about talking to someone at Cigna and your approved but how do you get there, do you call the 1-800# on the back of your card?
Part of me is dying to call them and the other part of me is like if I am approved I am and if the deny me they deny me.

Elizabeth

Cathy, I have open access plus. It is through my husbands work at GE. I have to pay $858 1 week before surgery. But I think the reason I have to pay so much is because I hadn't met my deductible. Your surgery is only 1 week before mine. You will have to let me know how it is, I am getting very scared! I was actually thinking of canceling! But I think it was just nerves. Once I do it, I know I'll be fine.

soon2b, I called the number on the back of my card. But if yours was just submitted last week, they probably won't have an answer for you yet. But if they are going to deny you, I believe they do it within the first week. The first time I was denied, it took about a week. The second time only took 1 day to be denied. Once we appealed again, it only took a little over 2 weeks for them to approve me. If I were you, I would give it another week and then call. I have heard others say how hard it was to talk to the people at Cigna, but I had no trouble at all. They were all very nice and helpful, and I called A LOT! If your BMI is over 40 and you have done the 6 months diet plus nutrition and psych evals, you will probably get approved. The doctor's office told me almost everyone gets approved, even if they have to appeal a few times.

Carrie:
I have Cigna POS through the sate of Tennessee, I teach at a Vocational College. My surgeon is in network :biggrin2: so I only have a $100. co-pay to the hospital.
I understand being scared, but most likely you will be fine. I am so ecited about this. I will finally loose weight and keep it off! I plan to do exactly as the doctors tell me.
Good luck and let me know how you do. I post in the June 08 thread and also in the 50s. I will look for you!

Thanks! Where is the June 08 thread?