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YIKES! Weight Loss Surgery bill came today!



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Yeah what the hospital bills and what the insurance actually allows is two totally different things. If the hospital participates with your insurance and they have an agreement as to what they will accept. My hospital billed about 40000.00 and accepted 17,000.00 because that is the allowable amount. My surgeon only got about 2400.00. And I stayed two nights in the hospital. Anesthia billed 2400.00 and the allowed amount was like 700.00. It's deceiving. Billed amounts and allowed amounts are two very different things.

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????Thank God..my insurance covered everything, but hospital stay.I only owe $500

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North jersey

Hospital was $42,000 for outpatient. I was 1 night overnight but it's a 23 hour stay technically.

They were paid $23k or so. My out of pocket is $3200

Surgeon charged $21,000, out of pocket met by hospital so I don't owe him anything. They paid him $5k for sleeve and $1200 for my hernia.

Anesthesia was $3500 and they originally paid $1350 and they refused to accept since out of network. They ended up getting payment in full at $3500 and I owe them $250. It will be a long time before they get it since they threatened to sue me if insurane didn't pay in full.

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Yeah what the hospital bills and what the insurance actually allows is two totally different things. If the hospital participates with your insurance and they have an agreement as to what they will accept. My hospital billed about 40000.00 and accepted 17,000.00 because that is the allowable amount. My surgeon only got about 2400.00. And I stayed two nights in the hospital. Anesthia billed 2400.00 and the allowed amount was like 700.00. It's deceiving. Billed amounts and allowed amounts are two very different things.

I'm taking a medical billing and coding class and I was just thinking about what the allowed amounts are because these prices are all over the place and I'm thinking there has to be an average allowed amount. I don't want to know what mine will cost. Lol. But it's completely covered except for $350 for some big nutrition class or something.

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Wow sounds extreme, mines was $17,000 and I stayed in the hospital for four days. I paid nothing out of pocket! Thank God!

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Anybody have medicare and know what they ended up paying out of pocket.

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For hospital medicare should be the $1111-1600 deductible and then all the docs and anesthesia should be 20%. It will be different depending on what state you live in. Geographically medicare allows different amounts

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Mine was probably around that much, plus all the ancillary stuff they get you on. I should have had zero out of pocket because I had two other surgeries during the plan year, but the anesthesiologist wasn't in network. They told me I should have specified when I was doing my pre-admit paperwork. Silly me, I figured since they certainly checked my insurance before admitting me, they would handle that. So for those in the process, make sure to confirm with the hospital and your surgeon that everyone involved is in network. But I guess a $300 bill isn't too bad for a life changing procedure.

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WOW!!!! I didnt have insurance and went to Mexico and had it done for $4300.

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I'm taking a medical billing and coding class and I was just thinking about what the allowed amounts are because these prices are all over the place and I'm thinking there has to be an average allowed amount. I don't want to know what mine will cost. Lol. But it's completely covered except for $350 for some big nutrition class or something.

Some places inflate their prices but in the end if they participate with your insurance they have to accept the allowed amount less deductibles and co insurance. So even if they bill 70000.00 BCBS of Michigan will give them about 17000.00 give or take. I was in the hospital 2 days. Mine was covered to except I did have a 250.00 deductible that had been met prior to surgery with all the testing that had to be done.

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I paid cash and it was right at 20K. I think they tend to bill more when it's covered by insurance because they know they can get away with it. I had two nights in the hospital and was dischargd the morning of the third day.

Be happy you don't have to pay most of that bill! :)

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My insurance was charged $48,744.36, and that was for the labs and recovery and room and drugs. The surgery was another $7000 on top of that. My share was $1800 for the hospital and like $500 for the surgery.

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My insurance would only pay 50% but my out of pocket max was 4500. Since it iz the end of the year I only had to pay 1000 after all tests and other appointments.

Also my insurance will only pay a maximum of 10,000.

I asked several times how this was going to work since I paid my out of pocket maximum. Guess I will see in a couple of months!

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I am self paying since my insurance doesn't cover it and I'm going to end up paying $15k for everything including a years worth of follow up appointments with doc and nutritionist.

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    • LeighaTR

      I am new here today... and only two weeks out from my sleeve surgery on the 23rd. I am amazed I have kept my calories down to 467 today so far... that leaves me almost 750 left for dinner and maybe a snack. This is going to be tough for two weeks... but I have to believe I can do it!
      · 0 replies
      1. This update has no replies.
    • Doughgurl

      Hey everyone. I'm new here so I thought I should introduce myself. I am 53y/o and am scheduled for Gastric Bypass on June 25th, 2025. I'm located in San Antonio, Texas. I will be having my surgery in Tiajuana Mexico. I've wanted this for years, but I always had insurance where bariatric procedures were excluded. Finally I am able to afford to pay out of pocket.  I can't wait to get started, and I hope I'm prepared for the initial period of "hell". I know what I have signed up for, but I'm sure the good to come will out way the temporary period of discomfort and feelings of regret. I'd love to find people to talk to who have been through the same procedure or experience before. So I look forward to meeting you all. Hope you have a great week!
      · 2 replies
      1. Selina333

        I'm so happy for you! You are about to change your life. I was so glad to get the sleeve done in Dec. I didn't have feelings of regret overall. And I'm down almost 60 lbs. I do feel a little sad at restaurants. I can barely eat half a kid's meal. I get adults meals often because kid ones don't have the same offerings at times. Then I feel obligated to eat on that until it's gone and that can be days. So the restaurant thing isn't great for me. All the rest is fine by me! I love feeling full with very little. I do wish I could drink when eating. And will sip at the end. Just a strong habit to stop. But I'm working on it! You will do fine! Just keep focused on your desire to be different. Not better or worse. But different. I am happy both ways but my low back doesn't like me that heavy. So I listened (also my feet!). LOL! Update us on your journey! I'm not far from you. I'm in Houston. Good luck and I hope it all goes smoothly! Would love to see pics of the town you go to for this. I've never been there. Neat you will be traveling for this! Enjoy the journey. Take it one day at a time. Sometimes a few hours at a time. Follow all recommendations as best you can. 💗

      2. Doughgurl

        Thank you so much for your well wishes. I am hoping that everything goes easy for me as well. We don't eat out much as it is, so it wont be too bad in that department. Thankfully. Also, I hear you regarding your back and feet!! I'd like to add knees to the list. Killing me as we speak! I'm only 5' so the weight has to go. Too short to carry all this weight. Menopause really did a doosey on me. (😶lol) My daughter also lives in Houston. with her Husband and my 5 grand-littles. I grew up in Beaumont, so I know Houston well, I will be sure to keep in touch and update you on my journey. I may need some advice in the future, or just motivation. Thank You so much for reaching out, I was hoping to connect with someone in the community. I really appreciate it. 💜

    • 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. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • 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.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        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.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        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
      1. This update has no replies.
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