I just received a statement from my insurnace company and they were charged $75.000 for my lapband surgery. It was totally laproscopic, it was done at a surgery center as opposed to a hospital, i was only there for a few hours. My surgery was done in California. My portion of the bill only amounts to around $3,800 but still. Has anyone ever heard of the surgery being this high?

My Insurance was billed 48,000.00 I got the claim in the mail, I ALMOST PASSED OUT!

Kristen

For some reason I am getting replies and questions about tztmamas bill of $75,000 for her surgery. Don't know how that happened? Anyway it was certainly too high. The banding cost that I have heard of and researched has been about 16,500. (With the exception of Mexico). Even at 16 to 17 thousand is pretty stiff when your insurance is willing to pay next to nothing. My said "up to" $4,000.

Sorry for the mix up tztmama.

I am guessing that they charge that much knowing what the network allowance is so that they can write off the rest on their taxes? I spent the night and was in a major hospital and my bill was only $33,000 for everything. I paid around $500 in copays and such. My insurance paid about $17,500 so I am guessing the rest is written off and is tax deductable? ~Mandy

I am guessing that they charge that much knowing what the network allowance is so that they can write off the rest on their taxes? ...~Mandy

I think it has to be something like that. I know that the insurance company will never actually PAY that much, and so does the doc. I also know it is somewhat common practice to over-bill the insurance companies.

Surgery Center of Richardson charges $15k cash - but they bill insurance twice that. The doc explained it as giving us a "discount" because they don't have to spend any time fighting with the insurance company to get paid - but I haven't seen my doc's office doing anything with insurance since the initial submission. So, there must be some other reason why the docs over-bill the insurance companies, KNOWING they will not get paid.

Anybody know for sure?

I have worked in healthcare my entire career, including for an insuracne company. It's an error. They happen all the time.

thanks for all the replies, folks. i am certainly going to ask a few more questions. i truly hope it is an error.

Self-pay with my dr. in CA is $8500, $850 for the anesthesiologist, $8500 for the hospital (out-patient) and an additional $1500 if you have to spend the night. Total $19,350 if you spend 1 night.

I paid $12,800 including everything (anesthesiologist, assist. surgeon, etc) but the pre-op testing. Also includes 3 months afterwards of free visits and one free fill. Fills after are $195. It is a special the hospital and two surgeons are having who primarily do the surgery there. Great deal!

Oh, I forgot. Fills for life are included for free. They bill insurance for them but if insurance doesn't pay, they don't come back and bill you.

i live in central texas, waco area, and i am curious if there are any surgeons in this area that do the surgery, does anyone know?

Anyone in NJ have Medicare? and if so, How much was paid, etc?

lgonzalez, go to this site, they have surgeons listed by state as well as patient reviews.

http://www.obesityhelp.com

You can also have a list of surgeons emailed to you at www.inamed.com ~Mandy

My insurance covers, but I believe the cost in Cleveland where I'm going is $19,000 including follow ups.

Texarkana, TX has a husband/wife team that do the lap band at Wadley Regional Medical Hospital. Also (further) is Little Rock, AR

I had surgery done at a hospital. Here's the breakdown from my insurance claim:

surgeon's cost $15,200.00

room & board $1,265.00

IH Misc. Services (I have no idea what this is) $28,678.28

IH Misc. Services NOT covered $6.45 (I never received a bill for this so I assume they just ate this small amount)

Anesthesia $1,233.00

Total $46,376.28

I paid NOTHING out of pocket for the surgery.