General info: How much? How long? What do I do? Why?

• A psych eval is required by Blue Cross, Medicare and many insurance companies. The reason for this is: “Psychological evaluation of patients before bariatric surgery is a critical step, not only to identify contraindications for surgery, but also — and more so — to better understand their motivation, readiness, behavioral challenges, and emotional factors that may impact their coping and adjustment through surgery and the associated lifestyle changes.” https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3096263/

• The steps are

  1. Submit your insurance information here, and we’ll check and let you know the cost.

  2. Complete the Intake. Dr. Schroder will contact you. Or once you've completed the Intake. Thursdays. Usually by Zoom. Dr. Schroder will text/email the Zoom link at the time of the appointment. These generally take an hour.

  3. After scheduling, before your appointment, patients must complete the four forms below. 

  4. Dr. Schroder will ask about health, personal/family background, education, employment, weight and mental health history.

  5. He will compile a report generally within 3-7 business days and send this through an encrypted email system directly to the Center for Obesity and Surgical Treatment.

  6. Please pay your co-pay with Venmo after we’ve scheduled an appointment.

• Dr. Schroder has completed several hundred of these. Most people "pass". Issues that may delay clearance include active substance addition and/or current, major, psychological / behavioral instability. In such cases, patients are required to seek and document appropriate stability and mental health supports.

• Insurances accepted: 

  • Blue Cross, Medicare,

  • Out of pocket varies. To assist you in determining this, please complete this form and allow 7 business days for a response.