My insurance denied me after I went through the entire process with my Florida surgeon. (FYI: I don't even feel comfortable going back to the surgeon here in Florida who did all my pre-op stuff because I know they are cheating people....long story).

Now I am looking for cash pay options and I am wondering if I should go to Mexico. Are the prices posted all inclusive prices? I don't want to be get bills for "this and that" AFTER the surgery? Also, I would prefer to do surgery in US but I will do what I have to...... My BMI is 37.7 and 2 or 3 comorbidities, if that helps.

My surgery was done in Overland Park, KS. I private paid, it was all inclusive through Weight Loss Surgical Center. If I remember right it was $18,500 or very close to that. I had some bills come to me after the fact but I sent them to WLSC and they paid it. That was for outside blood work during recovery.

Thanks so much. I just can't pay almost 20K. I am thinking of Dr. Alvarez? His YouTube channel he seems so knowledgeable....

Mine was done in Dallas. $12,200 all inclusive. Have not paid a penny more.

There are folks here that have had it done at centers of excellence for under 10k all inclusive.

I'm $11K with Dr. Umbach in Las Vegas just for the surgery and one follow up visit. Lodging and travel to and from not included, obviously.

Also, one thing to think about is the post-op appointments you will have with your local team. My visits to my local bariatric doctor will not be covered - those are $185 each. At 2 weeks, one month, monthly up to 6 months, that gets to be pretty spendy.

Good luck!

You are welcome to read my blog....your story is basically the same as mine. Denied by insurance, roughly the same BMI, etc. I self paid in Mexico. The price was all inclusive - no extra bills after surgery. And I too looked at Dr. Alverez too - he is a great surgeon. There are several very good surgeons in Mexico. Do your research and be 100% sold on your choice of surgeon. Good luck! www.hoosierfatty.wordpress.com

(FYI: I don't even feel comfortable going back to the surgeon here in Florida who did all my pre-op stuff because I know they are cheating people....long story).

By the way, inquiring minds want to know what happened with the "cheating" original surgeon's office!! If you care to share.

I had more hidden costs with insurance....Drs taking advantage...IM up to 2400 and haven't gotten hospital bill yet or Dr. bills... 1125 up front for Dr deposited and rinkydink program I won't use...month out could not even get follow up appt within 2 months of surgery....Utah...go figure

By the way' date=' inquiring minds want to know what happened with the "cheating" original surgeon's office!! If you care to share.[/quote']

My Dr office is office for cattle . Feel scammed by them...they could careless about you, just your money

I love Dr. A's youtube channel too!

I went with valenzuela/cabrerra in Tj Mexico. I paid 4,500... That covered everything except: airfare, acid reducer prescription ($20.00 for a 3 month supply) Tips for roomservice/maidservice/drivers...

What it did cover: surgery, anesthesiology, hospital, preop testing such as blood tests and ekg, telephone nutrition counseling, hotel, all ground transportation, roomservice of 2 bowls of broth and 2 popcicles a day.. Maidservice also brought 2 bottles of Water daily which were not charged.

Also for many doctors they have a high bmi charge of 500-750 dollars if your bmi is over 45 or 50 depending on the doctor. Also if the doctor has to fix a hiatal hernia there may be an extra charge depending on how extensive the repair is.. you should discuss with doctor about the possiblity of an extra charge should it happen.

Mine was $10,500 and completely all inclusive. It includes all tests and a 2 day hospital stay and 1 year of care. It was in Boca Raton with Dr. Shillingford.

cash pay is 12000 here in louisiana.

Thanks so much. I just can't pay almost 20K. I am thinking of Dr. Alvarez? His YouTube channel he seems so knowledgeable....

I was sleeved by Dr. Alvarez on Sept 27, 2013. Excellent doctor. Any questions let me know.

Wow! Thanks for all the responses. I appreciate each and every one of you. Looks like a lot of options.

I am just curious as to why there is such a large gap in what different surgeons charge, if anyone cares to comment. Also, do you guys think I will be able to simply transfer all my pre-surgery stuff since I've had it all done, but am not going to have the surgeon I've seen do it ?

(For inquiring minds, and without going into all the details because I don't have the strength...the bariatric surgery center I've been to are just herding people through the doors....gimmicky stuff to get the upfront fees then not helping with a damn thing---I may post something further at another date but it has just taken too much out of me).

I am strictly guessing but most of these quotes would be as stated an all inclusive price. My guess is the price would be the same even if you can bring test results with you. You might be able to find a doctor that will ala carte your procedure. If you already paid for the test results then they are yours and you would make a records request. You might pay a service fee for them but you should be able to get them. Good luck on your journey. By the way a lot of people have flown in to have surgery with my surgeon.

Most of the surgeons for self pay are very good about giving you a full price up front. It's insurance that's a hassle, honestly. The hardest part now is picking your surgeon and deciding how to pay!

I researched three surgeons for self pay - Dr. Nick Nicholson (Plano, TX), Dr. Trace Curry (Cincinnati, OH) and Dr. Aceves (Mexico). After much deliberation I opted to go with Dr. Aceves. He was cheaper ($8,700 for surgery) but that wasn't my full motivation. I have insurance that does not cover the sleeve at all and flew from Germany to have my procedure. I wanted a longer hospital stay before my return flight home. I felt I got much more bang for my buck with Dr. Aceves, and it was several thousand dollars cheaper, too, even including my travel. I paid $10K for everything including my flights, medications in Mexico (I brought them home with me) and my extra hotel night (I had to pay for one night on my own because my international flight landed the night before).

Find a reputable surgeon with believable positive testimonies online. Then find people here and on OH (that aren't working for the surgeon!) to share their experiences. Scour the web for positive AND negative reviews. Read BOTH. Make an informed decision before you go forward.

I have paid nothing else for my surgery. My PCM resumed my care - they saw me shortly after one year post op and did my blood panel with no issues. I didn't bother getting a prescription for my omeprazole because my insurance gets charged about three times what I pay for it myself and that's just ridiculous. I also by all of my own supplements and Protein shakes, too, but that's not exactly a hidden cost.

The worry comes when you fall into that 1% group with complications. Weigh that carefully. Nobody expects to be that person. A way to minimize that risk is of course to be very careful about selecting your surgeon. But there is risk with any surgery, and should complications arise you could find yourself footing the bill if you pick the wrong surgeon.

Best of luck. Start researching and take your time. This is a big choice to make. The good news is that once you do decide, things move quite quickly.

~Cheri