Melinco

See, I was kind of comparing it to college. Many times (not all times) kids whose parents pay for their college tend to goof off more and not take it quite as seriously as those who have to pay for it themselves. I know for me, since I am self-pay, I can't afford to do anything that would jack it up, because if I were to have to go in and do a revision, it would be out of my pocket. I agree with what many of you said that you have struggled to get to this point and have done your research and you will work the program like it should be worked regardless of how it is or was paid for. Thanks for all of your thoughts and feedback.

Anytime I've turned in a claim for my FSA, whether I did it with a paper claim or used my debit card, I have never had to give detailed information about the doctor's appointment, just provide a receipt from the doctor showing the amount I've paid. I'd bet you a cup of non-fat pumpkin spice latte that it will be covered by the FSA.

I think the answer to your question is yes. From IRS.gov, Publication 502 Weight-Loss Program You can include in medical expenses amounts you pay to lose weight if it is a treatment for a specific disease diagnosed by a physician (such as obesity, hypertension, or heart disease). This includes fees you pay for membership in a weight reduction group as well as fees for attendance at periodic meetings. You cannot include membership dues in a gym, health club, or spa as medical expenses, but you can include separate fees charged there for weight loss activities. You cannot include the cost of diet food or beverages in medical expenses because the diet food and beverages substitute for what is normally consumed to satisfy nutritional needs. You can include the cost of special food in medical expenses only if: The food does not satisfy normal nutritional needs, The food alleviates or treats an illness, and The need for the food is substantiated by a physician. The amount you can include in medical expenses is limited to the amount by which the cost of the special food exceeds the cost of a normal diet.

I saw in your signature that you have barium swallow. What is that? I'm new to this so I don't know all that is involved yet. Thanks,

Can you finance it rather than putting it on your credit card? You might be able to pay less in interest.

I was thinking this morning about the correlation between those who paid for the lapband themselves versus those whose insurance paid, and how well they followed the "rules." Do you think, if you were self-pay, that you were more aware of what you had to do and you followed the guidelines more closely? Conversely, if your insurance paid, were you more lax in following the guidelines? I'm just curious about the results. Thanks for your feedback!

If I recall correctly (I don't have the paperwork in front of me right now), Dr. James Smith in Pueblo, CO does it for around $12k-$14k. He doesn't accept any insurance. If you attend one of his seminars, he doesn't charge the $200 initial consult fee. Good luck!

Today I had a voice message on my home phone from a registered nurse from my insurance company, inviting me to call to participate in a health education program. I was curious to see what had prompted the phone call. When I returned the call, the nurse I spoke with said it was due to a recent diagnosis that was received from one of my doctors - obesity. This was from when I had my annual exam with my GYN and talked to him about WLS. So in talking with the RN, I asked her if she could tell me anything about my actual insurance plan and she said no, I'd have to call customer service (which I knew anyway). So when I did call CS, I asked if they cover WLS and they said no (which I knew from reading my policy). However, if I do have any complications from it, they will cover that, which is good news (this wasn't addressed in the policy). All this is just to say that now I can move forward and not have to wonder will my insurance cover it. I figure that by what I save in eating out lunch almost daily will make my monthly finance payment. I told my husband that he'd have to eat what I'm eating as I'm not cooking two different meals! Of course, he said he wouldn't do the liquid part of the diet with me. :tt1: Now I just have to schedule the actual consultation and get going with it. If only work scheduling weren't an issue right now, I'd call and make the appointment for tomorrow!

Are you sure that's your copay and not the total cost? Are you covered by a supplement or only by Medicare? If you are covered only by Medicare, that seems way too high, as Medicare's Part A deductible is $1,068, then you pay 20%. I can't imagine that the cost of the surgery is so high that your 20% plus the Part A deductible would total $7,000.

Something else to think about is that if you're just starting out on solid foods, the weight you've gained may just be the weight of the food, since solids take longer to work through your system than liquids do.

The cost of COBRA has absolutely nothing to do with any medical conditions you currently have. In fact, each person who is currently covered under the employer's group health plan may individually elect or decline the coverage, which means if you wanted to take the continuation coverage only for yourself, then you would only pay the premium for one person, not the entire family. Plus right now, through the stimulus (ARRA) package passed back in February, you may be eligible for upto a 65% subsidy on COBRA premiums (eligibility based on family income), so it may not be as expensive as you think. I'd definitely look into COBRA a bit more as it may not be as out of reach as you think. Good luck.

I will be self-pay. By attending the seminar, the doc is waiving the $200 initial consultation fee, so for me, it was worth it. However, I was able to get into a seminar quickly, as the local doc holds them monthly and I had called only two weeks before the next seminar was being held.

If you have serious concerns about whether you can get pregnant or not (regardless of what you weigh), you should consult with a reproductive endocrinologist (RE). He can do a series of tests to determine if you and/or your DH have any issues that would cause you problems in becoming and staying pregnant. Yes, ideally, losing 10 pounds would be nice, but I don't think it is absolutely necessary in order to become pregnant. Some OBs are clueless when it comes to fertility issues. They just really know how to treat you once you are pregnant, but don't know how to help you get pregnant. That's what a RE is for. Good luck!

Hi Mike, I'm new here too. I've just posted my introduction. Welcome to the group. I hope we can both get lots of support here. Mel

Hi everyone, I attended a lapband seminar this week, as I am seriously contemplating having this procedure done. I have several very good reasons to do it: * Improve my health. I don't have any co-morbidities at this time, but my extra weight is really taxing my knees and my back. I have always had a large chest, and the weight of it really strains my back. * Live better. I want to do all the things that I can't right now due to my size. * Try having a baby. Unlike many women who do not have a monthly period due to their weight, I don't have this problem. My issue is that my eggs are old, though I'm only 38. We have tried IVF using my own eggs, but that didn't work, so my fertility specialist recommended using donor eggs, but said that I should lose my excess weight so that I don't have the additional complications of pregnancy that being super obese can cause. * I want to be able to exercise without hurting. * I want to be able to shop in a normal size clothing store. The list goes on and on, but I am really doing this so that I can be healthier and happier with the way I look. My BMI right now is 49. I'm 5'5 1/2" tall and last weighed in at 294. This is the largest I have ever been. I am ready for a change. I look forward to getting to know many of you and I hope that I am able to contribute to this forum, as well as learn from it. Thanks, Mel