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Ok. So I have everything done. I have insurance approval. I am anxiously awaiting to hear from the surgeon what my date will be. Instead when I answer the phone, it is the insurance people from their office. They proceed to inform me that I need to make payment arrangements for the $35,000.00 that my insurance does not cover. Are you kidding me? I can get the whole thing done in Mexico for under $5,000. And that doesnt even have insurance. I have been asking costs since I started this a year ago. And I get to find out two-three weeks before my potential surgery?!?! I am devastated, deflated and enraged all at the same time.

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Ok. So I have everything done. I have insurance approval. I am anxiously awaiting to hear from the surgeon what my date will be. Instead when I answer the phone, it is the insurance people from their office. They proceed to inform me that I need to make payment arrangements for the $35,000.00 that my insurance does not cover. Are you kidding me? I can get the whole thing done in Mexico for under $5,000. And that doesnt even have insurance. I have been asking costs since I started this a year ago. And I get to find out two-three weeks before my potential surgery?!?! I am devastated, deflated and enraged all at the same time.

Are you sure its $35,000 not 3500. Are you just having the sleeve? I self paid for my surgery for less then $12,000

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That figure sounds ridiculous. You can finance a BMW for that. Maybe call and get the details as to why it is so much? I have Kaiser and it was only a $400 copay.

Edited by kb88

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Very sure. $35,000. I told the woman to repeat herself. Total for surgery was $50,000 but my insurance max is $15,000. Not happy.

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That figure sounds ridiculous. You can finance a BMW for that. Maybe call and get the details as to why it is so much? I have Kaiser and it was only a $400 copay.

What is kaiser?

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That's crazy. That sounds like robbery.

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That's unbelievable! I was given the 50k price tag too, my copay was $1000 and much out of pocket maximum was 4k. I ended up paying all of it plus my surgeons program fee of $1500 so total $6500. You know darn well it doesn't cost 50k! Highway robbery!

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Are you kidding me? I think that I would be looking for that trip to Mexico! That is definitely out of sight for your surgery. You should look elsewhere! $35,000 out of pocket is out of this world! Best wishes, Karen

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You need to go to your group and ask then why their prices are so high. I want so a surgery center of excellence and the total cost was less than 26k. I paid $1k out of pocket (which is irrelevant) but a friend of mine who was self pay with the same group was able to negotiate a total pay of $15k because she was not covered.

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My surgeon offers a self pay program for 12000. That's ridiculous that they are trying to steal money from you! Look hard at Mexico and find anew surgeon.

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Utterly insane. I'm so sorry.

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That's unbelievable! I was given the 50k price tag too, my copay was $1000 and much out of pocket maximum was 4k. I ended up paying all of it plus my surgeons program fee of $1500 so total $6500. You know darn well it doesn't cost 50k! Highway robbery!

Seela - is your doctor in Ventura? I also paid a $1,500 program fee, so I thought by chance we may have the same surgeon :-)

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What is kaiser?

Kaiser Permanente - it's a huge H.M.O. They have their own hospitals and medical facilities. My family has been with Kaiser for many years. I let it go when I was in my early 20's.

Edited by mrsto

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That was weird...... Why did the site asterisk out H.M.O.? I had to put periods after each letter so it would accept it. Weird. Not any swear word I know of! :rolleyes:

Edited by mrsto

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I was self pay completely. This procedure isn't covered by insurance in Canada. I paid $15K.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
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