Stacy160

Hi, me again! WELL. We're getting new insurance starting January 1st. I googled it and found a document that lists weight loss surgery as a covered benefit, BUT I couldn't tell if it was a general list of coverages and exclusions, or if I stumbled onto some company's own customized policy. There was no company name attached to it, just the insurance (HAP PPO). Sooooo... there may be a chance, wooo-hoooo!!! Trying not to get my hopes up too high but dang... it's hard not to. Here are my latest questions :eek: : With the Port Huron group and the Hurley group (which is 20 minutes from home for me), what additional fees did you all pay out of pocket, and what testing was mandatory? I've been raised from birth not to trust Flint doctors LOL... but your reports are all so glowing, and that's reassuring. Anyway, any additional info you all can throw at me would be much appreciated!!

Sorry, but WTF did that PM have to do with Bush in the first place?? Anyway... that PM needs to be reported to a moderator with the name of the sender.

No, I haven't... we have NO paperwork on it yet, although supposedly it kicks in January 1st. Our HR people are a joke. I'm doubtful that I'd be OK'd because my BMI is only 36 (although surely climbing as we speak), and I don't have any serious co-morbidities yet. I have achy joints, some mild asthma, occasional bladder issues (amazing what one birth nearly 18 years ago will do to a gal ), acid reflux, a family history of obesity and cancer, but nothing imminently dangerous yet and knowing how insurance companies do things, I just have a feeling that they wouldn't find it necessary at this point. I'll try it anyway though, if it turns out that it IS a covered benefit!

You're lucky! I used to work for a plastic surgeon and he always told people (especially with scars around the face and belly) to keep them out of the sun for 6-12 months while they were healing, because if they tanned while they were healing, they'd stay dark even when the rest of the skin faded.

I don't go much at all anymore (after losing and gaining and losing and gaining over and over again, just like you), but would that be lowcarbeating.com? Congrats on taking the first step... I'm not quite there yet myself, aside from researching online as much as possible, but that's gotta be exciting for you!

I'm waiting to see if the new insurance that kicks in after the first of the year will cover it (doubtful) and even then, if they'd OK me (doubtful again). So going on the assumption that I'd be self-pay, I've been weighing my options and finding ways to afford and justify the expense when the money could be going toward other things like retirement, a new furnace, a pole barn, stuff like that. * sigh * I'm determined to make it happen though.

Oh maaaaannnnn.... looks like I started researching this and finding this site a little too late! Congratulations to the winner, how exciting!!

Congrats! One quick note regarding low-carbing while pregnant: I've read many, many times that a pregnant woman should NOT stick to a very low-carb diet while pregnant because the ketones produced in the process can do harm to the developing fetus. I don't know any details at all, but you might want to research that and start kicking up your fruit and veggie intake!

I'm sorry... I've seen the term "NSV" used several times lately, and I kinda get the gist of what it might mean, but what exactly is it? (A good thing either way, so congratulations on it! )

My goal weight for the last several years has been 160 (hence the name), which is right around where I was graduating high school a million years ago, but to be honest, I'd just about kill to know what 145 looks and feels like. :girl_hug:

Hi! Someone in another thread mentioned a low-rate medical loan available from one institution (CareChoices or something like that maybe?)... I'm not having much luck finding anything available anywhere else without a 7% or more interest rate. For those who have self-paid and financed at least part of the procedure, or who have found available loans that look good, where's a good place to turn? Thanks! :girl_hug:

Hi Maria! I'm just at the very beginning and haven't even seen anyone yet. Basically just gathering all the information I can, and thinking about money options as I will almost certainly be self-pay. You know... one part of me says "But that's money that could be invested and go towards retirement," while the other part of me says "But you'll never enjoy retirement if you keep getting fatter and more out of shape, and you'll probably save that much money in fast food and junk over the years anyway!" *sigh* All I know is that I'm tired of feeling lousy, and if dieting was the thing for me, it would have worked at some point over the last 20 years. YOU'VE only got a month left, how exciting!!

POH.... Oh boy. I work in the medical field too and... well, I'd have to do a lot of thinking about that. I'm assuming it would be outpatient surgery and wouldn't require a hospital stay? Thanks for answering so quickly btw! :eek:

Just posted in the "Where are the Michigan People" thread, but wanted to say Hi to everyone here anyway. So HI, and I'm really looking forward to talking and sharing info with everyone here! :eek:

And boy, I'd also love to know how to make this thing post my replies in the paragraphs that I type them in LOL!! I'm really looking forward to chatting with you all.

Hi folks!! Grand Blanc MI here, just getting into researching this procedure over the last couple of weeks. I'm pretty much resigned to the fact that it's not a covered benefit in my insurance, so I'm looking at self-pay options. Initially, it looked like Mexico would be the only way to go, however I've discovered that Dr. Pleatman offers a $12,500 package that covers basically everything. The cost at Hurley is $17,900!! For those of you who had the surgery in Port Huron, were any of you self-pay, and how much does it cost there? The way I'm figuring it is that yeah... Dr. Pleatman may be $4000 more than going to Mexico, BUT the Mexico cost does not include air-fare, passport(s) (if anyone goes with me), follow-up, fills, plus there's the inconvenience of simply having to fly out of the country to have it done. So currently Dr. Pleatman is looking like my best option, but I'd still like to know what the cost is in Port Huron. Well....what am I thinking, it just occured to me to call them LOLOL!! Scratch that--they're closed on weekend. So if anyone knows offhand, I'd love to know. :eek:

OH! I just followed your link... are you performing the surgery at N.O. only, or can you do it at any of the other hospitals where you're on staff? $12,500... holy cow. Including everything, even fills. Awesome, now it's time to have the money talk with the hubby! [edit] Oh, one more thing... do you absolutely require seminar attendance first?

Hi there! Does that include patients who have been banded in Mexico? From what I'm reading, a lot of people are having trouble finding someone to treat them if they've been banded outside of the US. I don't have anything scheduled and haven't even spoken to a surgeon yet, but I know I would be self-pay (lousy insurance) and Mexico would probably be my only option, as I called the bariatric center in the Flint hospital that does it and was quoted $17,900. In FLINT. If it's that high there, I can't imagine it's anything but higher in the rest of the state, leaving me only one option if I decide to pursue this, and that's Mexico. *sigh*

I see the term used a lot too, and I get what it is, but my question is: Is PB'ing something that happens only in the first few weeks after surgery then goes away, or does it continue to happen and not go away?

Does that include airfare too, if you have to fly in? If so... dang, that's a great deal.

Thanks for the replies everyone... I'm thinking of maybe paying a large chunk upfront and then financing the rest. That Capital One medical loan only charges 1.9 or 2.9% interest... can't beat that!

I don't think my insurance is going to cover the surgery... I haven't even begun the process yet, but it IS listed in the exclusions (all obesity/weightloss treatments etc). For those who have self-paid, do the the doctors generally want payment in full up-front? Have you financed? Are the payments and interest ridiculous or do-able? *sigh* Thanks....

Thanks everyone!! I don't think my insurance is going to cover it.

You know how when you're 18, and you think you've got it all together and you're a little catty, and you see a fat lady and say to your friend "If I ever look like that, shoot me..." ? I'm the fat lady now and I want to smack my 18-year old self LOLOL!!

I see things mentioned here that I haven't noticed at the Dr./Hospital websites, such as the pre-surgical diet and other testing. I know there's some time when you have to wait for insurance authorization too. What I'm wondering is this: After you see the Dr. for the first time, what happens after that and how long is it, generally, before the surgery? Are we talking weeks or months? Just trying to get a handle on what to expect. Thanks!