
I had FOUR business days before my very first appointment with Emory University Bariatric Center to get my paperwork together!!!!
The biggest downside to getting an appointment much earlier than expected is trying to come up with all of the paperwork required for program and insurance approval. I have to say, I am really nervous about getting approved. I have two close friends who have the same insurance as my family (Aetna) and they were denied, even after multiple appeals. One of my friends is in desperate need of this surgery, and it could really save his life. Not cool. Sometimes, I really don't understand medical insurance. I want to make extra sure that I have the correct documentation submitted the first time around so that I don't need to go thru an appeal process.
Anyway, like I said, I have Aetna. Fortunately, Mr G's employer plan does not exclude bariatric surgery explicitly so it looks like I just need to play by Aetna's rules.
In short, here are the guidelines with which I must adhere (Aetna CPB 1057).
Keep in mind, I have a pretty large aversion to doctors. My personal philosophy is -- if it ain't broke, don't fix it. I haven't been very good at scheduling annual physicals, checkups, etc. In addition, over the past 10 years or so, we've moved a few times, so my medical history is not in one place. PLUS, most medical offices recently transitioned from a paper chart system to an electronic chart system. Can you see where I'm going with this? Paperwork nightmare!
I am mainly concerned with obtaining the official 5 year weight record (ie: documented by a physician) that Aetna requires. At this time, I am not dealing with any major co-morbidities that need to be recorded.
All in all, I was successful in piecing together the weight history. A few new grey hairs popped up on my head during the process. I know that my "lack of planning" does not constitute an emergency on the part of others, but hey, I was given a gift here (an appointment 2 months earlier than expected) and I was going to do my darndest to run with it!
Here are some issues that I encountered:
- Some doctor's offices claimed I was never a patient because I wasn't in their computer. Hmmm, funny, I have my child's birth certificate which says you were indeed the attending doctor at their birth. Why dontcha get your lazy butt off your chair and go find my paper chart in the back storage room????
- Other providers never bothered to record my weight in their charts!!!
- A few offices charged up to $50 for a copy of my chart.
- Many offices promised charts that would be processed ASAP so that they would reach me in time for my appointment the following week. Yeah right, I'm still waiting for those charts.
Just in the nick of time, I had an impressive 2 inch stack of paper to bring with me to my appointment.
Whew! Wish me luck!