Will Cigna Approve ME???!! I am so Close! - ThinnerTimes

CarrieMarie · 07-16-2007, 01:48 PM

Hello all,

This is one of my first posts. And I need some comfort here.. I have Cigna as an insurance provider.
I started this process of “getting approved” over a year ago. I tried doing the weight loss with my regular doctor first and he was an idiot and he didn't give the insurance company what they wanted so I had to start over again with a dietician that was recommended by my surgeon. I was told “If you go thru our dietician, Cigna will cover you”. So I paid $500 out of my own pocket to see this dietician. I started back in March. The dietician told me from the get go, “I am not going to give you a target weight loss. This is more for educational purposes”. So I just had my 5th appointment with her last week. I gained. This was a total of 10 pounds that I had gained. My dietician looked at me and said that she is concerned that Cigna may deny me because I gained weight while under the instruction of a dietician.

So here I am.. I have one month left before I see my dietician again. After that appointment, they are submitting my paperwork to the insurance company. She asked me to loose 10 pounds in the next month. I am petrified. If I could do this, don’t you think I would have done it by now? Will Cigna deny me if I gained weight while under the supervision of a dietician?

Good news is, I have a surgery date. November 6th. I was told that they were confident that I would get approved, so they set my date.
Will my weight gain affect this? I am so scared. Please help? Anyone experienced the same thing with Cigna?

hummingbird5953 · 07-17-2007, 08:05 AM

Carrie Marie,
I totally feel your pain. I'm 4 months into a 6 month supervised diet w/ my surgeon's dietician...and I've gained 20 pounds!!! My insurance company denied my claim once already because I had only completed a 3 month supervised diet and they wanted to see 6 months.
So when I weighed in at the 4 month point and was up 20 pounds since the start of my supervised diet, my dietician told me the same thing...the insurance company will probably deny the appeal if I don't get that 20 pounds back off.
So, I have 2 months to lose 20 pounds. Since I was at the dietician's on 7/9, I've lose 6 pounds.
I know it sucks, I know it's hard, and I'd much rather be eating the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups that are sitting in the big bowl at my co-worker's desk right now than the raw almonds I'm actually eating. But you know what? I want this surgery more than that candy! And that's what I tell myself everytime I'm tempted to cheat.
I don't know about you but I've been on a thousand diets and I can lose weight...I've done it a million times...I just can't keep it off by myself.
So, here's a little tough love...just do it! You know you can. 10 pounds in a month is attainable. I'm so overweight right now that when I really cut back, I can lose 10 pounds during the 1st week of a diet.
Please don't be offended by the "tough love" approach but it looks like you need the kick in the pants that we've all needed from time to time.
I know you can lose those 10 pounds. Do it! Show them! Get that approval!!!
Best of luck losing the weight and getting the approval.
Keep us posted!

Baron Patrick · 07-17-2007, 10:20 AM

They are REALLY testy when it comes to getting approval for gastric bypass. I had a long drawn out fight with them, but finally won.

Don't leave anything to chance. Don't give them ANY excuse to deny you. If your not sure of ANYTHING be sure to call them for verification and GET IT IN WRITING.

Please let us know who it goes.

Oh, and welcome to the forum! There are a LOT of great people here.