BKLYNgal87

Hi iggychic, I have my own insurance policy independent of my parents, so any debt incurred would be mine alone. They are willing to loan me money in the event that the surgery isn't covered by my carrier so that I can self pay. But there still may be hope - I am having another sleep study next week after my fiance informed me that I wake up at night gasping for air (which I never remember) so my sleep apnea may have gotten worse. Not that obstructive sleep apnea is something to be happy about >_< But it's considered a serious enough comorbidity to approve surgery for those with a BMI of 35+. Also, sorry to hear you had such serious complications. Hope you have recovered fully from them. It's definitely something that should weigh heavily on anyone's mind considering WLS and I am no exception. Though I guess at the end of the day everyone tries to figure out what is right for them. I am fortunate in that I see a fairly accurate picture of my future (if I don't take control of my life) in my relatives, especially my dad. I love him dearly but it's not a pretty sight. And I know he wants a different life for me. So I did read the policy and limitations booklets through my employer and found for the most part that complications of elective surgery are well covered with some small random exceptions. But they won't pay for things like plastic surgery to remove excess skin after an elective WLS. Hopefully being still fairly young I won't need it Thank you all for your suggestions!

Thank you all for sharing your advice/experiences. Most of the reason I was scared off from the Mexico idea is my dad is an anesthesiologist and he himself does WLS cases just about every week. He is still not 100% on board with me getting surgery in general but it's more comforting to him that I have it here with a surgeon and an anesthesiologist he knows personally. But that's great to know they also do laparoscopic in MX. Blondie1007 - wow that's so great they helped pay for the removal. I am definitely going to do my reading to see what Aetna would cover. You have certainly come a long way and I feel very inspired hearing from you.

Hey everyone. This is my first post on VST. So in short I am in my mid-twenties and have bounced between a BMI of above 40 and below 40 the past few years. Now I am at almost 42. Because of this and lack of "serious" co-morbidities my insurance (Aetna) won't pay for the surgery. I do have what my insurance company considers less serious conditions because of my weight - chronic back pain, hypoglycemia, chronic fungal infections, mild sleep apnea (yet no diabetes yet, I know). My ultrasound was also negative for gallstones so I won't be getting any help whatsoever. The money for the initial surgery (I will have it in the US I think because I prefer the laparoscopic approach) isn't a huge issue. I have money saved and my parents are helping me. But my biggest concern is what happens if I have serious complications? If my insurance company considered the surgery elective and wouldn't cover it, they won't pay for the costs of medical crises that occurred due to said surgery, right? I feel very powerless because I truly believe this surgery is the tool I really need to succeed in permanent weight loss. But I couldn't live with bankrupting my parents with emergency room or secondary surgery bills. What I am wondering is - what have your experiences been as self-payers? Have any of you had complications? What have the bills been like and has your insurance company been of any help? Does anyone know of any good studies out on the rates of complications with the gastric sleeve? I know that sometimes they are preventable but other times it is totally out of one's control. Just looking for others' experiences. I know that going for surgery is always taking a chance, but I'd feel better doing as much research as possible and hearing from people who have been through it before me before I head down that road. Thanks!!