[sahuaro]

Unfortunately, I cannot provide info relevant to your questions re your surgery. But I do know that one of my patients (I am a psychologist) called her insurance to verify coverage, kept detailed notes of the conversations, including dates, times and names; when coverage was subsequently denied, she was able to use this information--and her knowledge that these conversations are recorded--to get the insurance company to admit that they had misled her and to pay for expenses incurred until the time of their appeal decision. She gets her insurance through her employment with a major corporation and was able to get the Human Resources department involved in her appeal. So--there are two aspects to your appeal, it would seem: both the insurance company's misleading you and the medical necessity issues. That Cigna will not put anything in writing at this time seems very suspect.