arrical8

I went to my initial consult, dietician, and psych evaluation on Friday and I am so bummed. My surgeon approved me for surgery and wants to correct my umbilical hernia during surgery as well as he believes I have a hiatal hernia that he would correct also. Great! He thinks I would like the bypass more but would do the sleeve if I want. Great! Dietician and psychologist think the same thing... Approved for surgery. I ask to speak to the insurance verifier since I am self pay and that is who I was told to speak to. This is where I almost started crying. Even though they will bill my insurance for the hernia repairs, they still want me to pay either $18000 sleeve or $23000 bypass on top of what my insurance would pay and they will not let me pay the difference? Does that make sense? For example, I would have to pay anesthesia in my amount and insurance would pay anesthesia too. Has anyone ever heard of this? It seems sketchy to me or maybe I don't understand how things work? My nurse friends think that is wrong and I should just pay the difference. Does anyone have any advice? There is another doctor in the area that I feel comfortable with but I have already paid this doctors office $400. I would like to add that in other conversations with this office I was given the impression that paying the difference was possible. I would not have started the process yet if I was told I had to have the full amount.

I am in STL. Still in the pre-op stage and working with Dr. Scott at mynewself bariatrics!

You look fabulous!

Thinking of you! YOU will do AWESOME!

April 10th is my Initial surgeon consult, NUT, and Psych Eval. I am self pay. What on average can I expect? TIA!

to be on the Loser's bench! My initial consult is on April 10th and I cannot wait! I have thinking about WLS for 20 years and wholeheartedly researching for 2 years. I am educated, ready, and confident!

Congratulations!

I have already been diagnosed with Sleep Apnea and wear a CPAP machine so I am not sure they will ask for a sleep study again. Since I am self pay, my timeframe should be shortened, but not always, since I do not have to adhere to any insurance requirements.

Went to a seminar at mynewself Bariatrics on March 7th! Insurance Verifier called on March 11th... no insurance coverage which I already knew! Self pay it is Called to schedule my appointments since I had not heard from anyone... April 10th for Doctor Consult, Dietician, and Psychologist! Not sure what happens after those appointments but very excited!

Following along... Good LUCK!

I am self pay in Missouri. I was told that since I was self pay, appointments would be scheduled quickly and my requirements would be less but I have not heard from the office since they called to tell me my insurance does not cover the procedure that I already knew. So I am waiting...

I am waiting myself... Good Luck!

My name is Arrica A little about me, I am a mom to 4 kids, I work full time, and I am morbidly obese. I have always had weight issues; always been the heavier girl in the crowd. I have been dieting my whole life, but in September 2010 I decided to do something about it for good. I began my journey to lose weight and become healthier using the Medifast program. On the morning of October 14, 2011, I celebrated 150 pounds lost. Later that same day, I also celebrated a new pregnancy and two weeks later was told I was having twins. My weight loss journey came to an abrupt halt. Over the course of my pregnancy, I gained 129 pounds. Since the birth of my twins, I have been gaining and losing weight, trying desperately to get back to the size I once was. I now weigh 186 pounds more than I did on October 14th. I currently have a BMI of 55.5 I have talked about Weight Loss Surgery for 20 years. I began researching my options, surgeons, and attending seminars 12 years ago. I started getting serious 2 years ago and I am currently looking at the gastric sleeve. I will be a self pay patient. My goals are to be happy in my own skin again, lose weight, move more, and become a better me. I know I have the motivation and will power to lose the weight again; I just need the support and accountability the gastric sleeve will provide me.