I was approved for the Vertical Gastric Sleeve surgery this past summer, but suddenly I had to have emergency surgery to remove my gallbladder in June. I have BCBS IL and my copay for weight loss surgery is $1500. I am now fully healed and ready to get a surgery date. I really want to proceed with having the surgery before the year ends because my maximum out of pocket and deductible have been met due to the gallbladder issue. I usually have relatively few health issues and have never met this much before in a calender year, so I want to use that to my advantage and have the surgery before 2013. So my question is, did anyone have option for their copay? I will not be able to come up with the entire $1500 in the next month (I'm a college student and have already had to pay so many medical bills since June), yet I know co pays are due at the time of service.

I plan on speaking with my surgeon's office tomorrow to ask them, but wanted to see if anyone else had any ideas or advice for my copay? I am so grateful for my approval and need to find a way to make this happen. My only 2 ideas are:

1. ask them if I can do a payment plan

2. ask them to charge the full amount on January 1, 2013 because I will have enough then on my FSA card. Not sure if I have the surgery late December if they would hold off for a few days.

Thanks for any thoughts!

Find out if the doctors' office accepts Care Credit. They have a plan for 18 months to repay with no interest.

What is your maximum out of pocket? You may be close to meeting that already before this new surgery. Also, are you sure you have a surgical co-pay of $1500 or is that your deductible? If it is your deductible, then you have already met it and should not have to pay again.

I have BCBS NJ and also had to have gall bladder surgery before the sleeve. in my case, my deductible is 2500, my maximum out of pocket is 4000. with my surgery, and all other co-pays through the course of the year, I have met my 4000 out of pocket and do not need to pay any more before the end of this year, even though my insurance pays for 80% of the surgery and my "responsibility" is 20%. Since I have met my Maximum out of pocket, I will not have to pay any more.

Also, something to keep in mind. I was told the approval for weight loss surgery is valid for 6 months, if you go past that , you'll have to go through that again.

Most hospitals do have financial help available (my deductible was paid to the hospital directly). Definitely ask them about it.

Good luck!!