I understand some people may not have insurance, or insurance that does not cover the surgery. What is the main reason folks are traveling to Mexico? Thanks

If they don't have insurance and have to self-pay, the cost of surgery in MX is half or less than the US cost of getting the Sleeve. That is what first peaked my interest, but the training, skill, and experience was what helped seal the deal for me.

I live in Canada and to qualify for VSG here you need to not only be morbidly obese but also must have many co-morbidities. If you aren't "lucky" enough to have the trifecta then you can go on a waiting list for 10 years.

I HAVE insurance and was morbidly obese, pre-diabetic and high blood pressure. I was in the emergency room twice in 2010 and had to walk with a cane for a while due to leg weakness. I also had to have physical therapy for nerve problems.

EVERYTHING hinged on my great weight. If I lost weight all my problems would ease up. I could apply for insurance, wait it out and jump through hopps for 6-10 months OR I could go to Mexico and do self pay and have it done in less than 30 days. I don't know if I could of made it waiting another 6-10 months, I was certainly FEELING like I was going to die. Getting up and going potty made me short of breath. I was emoitionally, if not physically DYING.

I went, had it done and lost over 100 pounds before I even would of gotten a surgery date had I waited on insurance. I was lucky, I had the money.

I live in Canada and to qualify for VSG here you need to not only be morbidly obese but also must have many co-morbidities. If you aren't "lucky" enough to have the trifecta then you can go on a waiting list for 10 years.

Exactly my reason as well.

2BThinAlways - we are neighbors, I am going for my surgery on Mar 20, you will be right behind me.

I went because my insurance denied the removal of my lapband and would not pay for the sleeve. The cost here would have been over $40,000 and I had the same thing done in Mexico for around $6000.

2BThinAlways - we are neighbors, I am going for my surgery on Mar 20, you will be right behind me.

That's so cool!

I have health insurance. The health insurance that my husband's company offers does not cover WLS. Kaiser Permanente isn't always the best insurance in the world, even though people rave about it. They have AMAZING plans, but that's not the one that my husband's employer chose...Anyway, I could have paid cash here in the states, but I didn't want to spend more money than I had to for quality care. Just because something is more expensive doesn't mean its better. I found exactly what I needed in Mexico.

Wow, I'm an average American and I have no insurance because my hubby and I are self employed. We have an average income. Definitely couldn't afford U.S. prices. Lucky enough I could even afford Mexico prices to be honest as 4500$ plus airfare is a big chunk of change for me! I only did it to help with weight that never seems to want to go away and diabetes that has been scaring the crap out of me!

1. I needed surgery

2. My insurance wouldn't cover it

3. Found a good doctor that was cheap

4. I'm cheap

1. I needed surgery

2. My insurance wouldn't cover it

3. Found a good doctor that was cheap

4. I'm cheap

Ditto...

It's pretty sad....this country that we live in can't/won't give us the medical attention we need... Thanks everyone for sharing your reason's with me....our insurance does cover the sleeve....but time will tell what kind of answer we get from them once St. Joe's files the paper work....I had several pre-op tests this past Monday and it should take about a week for the results...as soon as the office receives them, they will file with the Insurance Co.

Good luck to you on everything! Let us know when you get a date.

I live in Canada and to qualify for VSG here you need to not only be morbidly obese but also must have many co-morbidities. If you aren't "lucky" enough to have the trifecta then you can go on a waiting list for 10 years.

Its funny (not humorous) how so many people think that Canada's healthcare system is so easy and carefree. You just walk into a hospital and get what ever you want!

I had the ability to go wherever I wanted because I was lucky enough to get an unsecured loan through my bank to cover the expense. We have Tricare which does not cover the sleeve and we were not close enough to any Military Treatment Facility doing the procedure on their own. I researched three doctors and quickly narrowed it down to two: Dr. Nick Nicholson (in Plano, TX) and Dr. Aceves (in Mexicali).

For me it came down to bang for my buck, honestly. I had two great surgeons to choose from and both offices were great at responding to my questions and putting me at ease with my choice of surgery. However, I ultimately chose to go with Dr. Aceves. The sheer number of absolutely glowing reviews really swayed me, as did the fact that I got more than twice the amount of time in the hospital for half the price. I flew all the way from Germany to San Diego just to see Dr. Aceves and I don't regret my decision one bit!

Oh yeah, and one big factor for choosing Dr. Aceves? No hoops to jump through! I filled out my paperwork, picked my surgery date and booked my flight. Easy-peasy. I feel awful for the folks that go through six or more months of fighting their insurance companies just to get denied.

Good luck with your decision. If my insurance would have covered the procedure I would have tried that first. If they jerked me around too much I would have gotten impatient and self-paid, anyway, I think.

~Cheri