Question:
How long typically does it take for the surgeon to get a letter out to the Insurance?

Each surgeon is different, but how long does it take or should it take for the surgeon's office to get the letter out to the Insurance Company after the surgical consult and the surgeon's decision for surgery? Thanks, Annie    — Annie R. (posted on May 4, 2001)

May 4, 2001
Each surgeon office is different. I had my first consult this last monday 4/30 and went today 5/4 to see the dietician. Monday he will send the paperwork. But he knows I want this to move along. I think too it really depends how busy his office staff is too. karla
   — Karla K.

May 4, 2001
I was so pleases when I finally met with my surgeon, but after 2 weeks of the Insurance Co telling me they had nothing I thought they were putting me off..So I called the surgeons office only to learn they had not sent anything yet..finally after 2 and 1/2 weeks I finally got the ball rolling that was in March it is now May and now I'm working on the appeal..I will not give up!..Keep faith and dont lose hope...I know its hard not too...^j^....
   — Kimberly L.

May 4, 2001
I saw my surgeon on Wednesday March 21st and They sent all the required stuff to insurance the very next morning. But I had come prepared, I had all medical records for the past 5 years, diet history, a letter about a day in my life as a person who is MO, A list off all meds ( I takes over 10 differents kinds a day) a list of all the doctors i see with addresses and phone numbers. and I had each doctor that i see write me a letter saying i needed surgery. my doctors included pcp, orthopedic surgeon, shrink counslor (sp?) PT person and dietian. I got approval on friday. so everything for me tooks 2 days. My doctor said he had never seen a better prepared person. I hope everything gets moving for you !
   — C. L.

May 4, 2001
Like C.Lorenz, I went totally prepared and I think that is the key.....I really do... OBVIOUSLY - no one should even pursue the idea of WLS without thorough and exhaustive research first....some of us have been at it for a year or two, some even longer. So - there is no excuse for not knowing exactly what the surgeon will want to see, to know....what the insurance company will require - GO to your very first visit ARMED with all of that stuff and it will go much more smoothly for you. I had ALL of my history with me. Personal history, diet history (all programs and diet attempts - with dates and results), surgical/medical history - again with dates, etc., names/addresses/phone numbers of all physicians/surgeons I've ever seen and why, family health history, current medications with daily amounts... I wrote a paragraph or two about each type of WLS procedure that I'd researched and what I understood about it. Then I wrote about WHY I had chosen the procedure I chose. I wrote a whole page about what I understood about Obesity, Nutrition, and clearly stated what my expectations about the surgery were and how the surgery would ALTER my life forevermore. I assembled all of this together in a folder, bound it with a comb binder and presented it to the surgeon. Being educated, knowledgable, and responsible for your choices goes a LONG way..... The surgeon was greatly impressed and kept my book. Three days later I had all of my required testing done in one day (blood, xrays, gallbladdar ultrasound, mammogram, EKG, Pulmonary Function test) Two days later I had Pre-Certification from BC/BS Texas.... Cathy Jamieson
   — Cathy J.

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