Question:
I am having trouble getting approved how can i get around the 1 yr Dr supervised diet
— debbie T. (posted on August 24, 2003)
August 24, 2003
e-mail Walter Lindstrom. He is a well known lawyer that specializes in
obtaining insurance approvals. I hired him for me because my BMI is only
37-38. I have co-morbidities but not the ones that Aetna requires. I
have a severe back problem and I have been off work since Dec,2002. Ive
been to pain specialists, had nerve blocks etc... I have letters from 4
different doctors now that reccommend that if I lost my weight, that it
would alleviate my pain a great deal. So, go to obesitylaw.com. God Bless
you
— Dawn R.
August 24, 2003
Hi, the only thing I can suggest you do is to try to have you primary care
doctor write you ins co a letter stating that you have tried all kinds of
diets already and what medical problems you have and that you need to have
this surgery soon, or ask your doctor if he or she will call your ins co
personally sometimes that works! The only other thing you can do is try to
hire a lawyer to see if you can get this done sooner, or try to see if you
can switch ins companies! Good Luck to You!
— Melodee S.
August 24, 2003
Have you ever been on weight watchers for a year? That counts.
— Laura T.
August 24, 2003
At the risk of being slammed, I'm going to point out that often the
insurance company and doctor imposed "hoops" have a purpose. It
is frequently to your benefit to jump through these hoops. If you have not
been on at least a couple of serious diets in the past, then a
doctor-supervised one will aid you in two ways: you will lose some weight
before the surgery, making the surgery and recovery easier, and getting you
to goal quicker, and it will give you practice at modifying your food
intake and eating patterns, which are critical for long-term success. If
you've been on every diet under the sun, and have had been successful for
short periods of time in modifying your food intake and eating behaviors
(and hae some way of proving it), then I say it may be worth fighting this
requirement. If you haven't done these things, I think it's a good idea to
try the doctor-supervised diet. (Are you sure it's a year-long diet
they're looking for? Many will accept a 6-month try in the recent past.)
Best wishes to you.
— Vespa R.
August 25, 2003
I have BCBS and my policy requires 2 years of dieting under a doctors
supervision and I didn't have that. I have been on many, many diets in my
47 years but the only doctors supervised diets I had been on were from 2
different doctors who had given me diet pills for 3 months a piece back in
the 70's. My surgery was still approved without it. I do have
co-morbidities though.
— Debbie R.
August 25, 2003
My doctor's office (The Wish Center) requires an 8 week
"practice" diet. I thought it was nuts at first, but it taught me
what kind of food/diet plan that I would be on for the rest of my life. And
you know what 8 weeks are not really enough time to "teach" you
how you are going to have to eat after surgery. Give it a try - you will be
surprised how much it will teach you. I am 4 months post and I am still
learning. I do not know what your age is but I am 50 and it is real hard to
undo close to 50 years of bad eating habits. Good luck, all good things
come to those that wait.
— ChristineB
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