Question:
Should I write a letter prior to my consult?
I want to write a letter to help the doctor explain why I need this surgery? One that he can use as a guidline for his own or even submit with his. I really do not know how to go about it-getting started- and then even giving it to the surgeon without offending him. Has anyone done this and can someone share their letter with me? I have already search the library on the site and could not find what I was looking for.Thank You — Jan S. (posted on October 27, 2002)
October 27, 2002
Hi,
Your surgeon will want to know about your past weight loss efforts (this is
very important..they like to see that you have tried in the past). I typed
up a paper with my weight loss history (ie: weight watchers; lost 80;
gained 100 back, etc..)
— Marlene U.
October 27, 2002
Usually when you go for your initial appointment you fill out a history
questionarre, or at the very least your surgeon will go over your history,
and all of your comorbidities. His office is the one that will write the
letter to the insurance company. You do not have to write a letter, however
if you want to, there is a wonderful sample on this site at
http://www.obesityhelp.com/morbidobesity/m-ins-lettermn.phtml. I cut and
pasted most of this to form my letter. You can do that for either your
doctors benefit or to send along with his letter. Your surgeon has done
this alot, and he knows what he needs to get approval, but it never hurts
to overkill the insurance company. GOOD LUCK!!!
— dkinson
October 28, 2002
I started out by writing a letter to my physician and gave it to her when I
had an appointment to talk to her wls. I wrote a small bit about myself and
why I personally wanted the surgery and then I went on to talk about my
medical history, family history, diet attempts, co-morbids...etc...and
thanked them at the end for considering me for surgery. I also took a copy
with me when I saw the surgeon and just addressed the letter head to him.
The insurance girl in his office said that they (insurance companies) love
this kind of stuff. I also wrote my letter of 'medical necessity' and had
my pcp sign it, even though she also wrote one of her own for me. My
suggestion is that anyone who has to see their pcp first, or perhaps this
will work with a surgeon too, it to have your pcp put you on a diet that
day. This being because it often takes so long to get from seeking wls to
actually getting it and many don't have well documented doctor supervised
diets. Go weekly for a weigh in or bi-monthly while you are waiting on a
surgeon referral. At my doctor's office you can go just for a weigh in by a
nurse so you don't have to have an appointment and pay the co-pay. Have the
nurse write your weight on a prescription form and have her initial it so
you have a record. You can give these to your doctor at your next
appointment with him/her and they can enter it in your medical records. I
only had one 6 month doctor supervised diet, but by the time all my
paperwork, evals, etc. were ready to be sent to the insurance company I had
another current diet with my pcp for the last 5 months. I was approved in a
couple days. Just a suggestion.
— blank first name B.
October 28, 2002
Jan, I emailed you a copy of my letter. Good Luck!
— Amber L.
October 28, 2002
Jan, my doctor actually requires all of her patients to write a letter
describing their past attempts at weight loss, their understanding of the
procedure and its risks, and why they believe they are a good
candidate/want to have the surgery. I basically wrote mine as an
autobiography, starting with when I first realized I had a problem with
excess weight. This website was a great source of information about the
various procedures and their risks. I encourage you to write the
letter---it really helps you to internalize why you want to do it, what the
risks are, etc. Good luck and God bless--Martha---new life scheduled to
start on 12-11-02!
— asumamma1
Click Here to Return