Does anyone know the cost of sleeve surgery if you end up paying out of pocket? Obviously, I'm looking for just a ballpark figure. Consultation in 2 weeks and I'm looking to avoid the 6 month wait time

I am paying between $22k and $23k.

I think by "out-of-pocket" you mean "self-pay" as opposed to the out-of-pocket required after insurance has paid.

http://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/gastric-sleeve-cost.html

http://obesitycoverage.com/insurance-and-costs/how-much/average-cost-of-gastric-sleeve-surgery

Edited March 19, 201511 yr by AlwaysVegas

When I didn't have insurance I was quoted a "discounted" price of $13,000 for self pay without financing at the hospital I was looking at and $17,000 with financing.

Other hospitals in my area quoted me: $22,000(With their finance options and another $10,000(If I traveled 2 hours away and had the money up front as a cash paying patient)

Originally my total cost was $15,500. However I also will have a hernia repaired so it dropped to $8,000 because insurance will cover some of the hospital and anesthesiologist. In the US! While I hate that my insurance doesn't cover the surgery moving forward has only taken a month. My surgery is next week

In Mexico self-pay seems to range from about $3000-$7500. Mine was towards the upper end of that range, but that was with a world renowned surgeon.

I paid $12K in Washington State for the surgery and anesthesiologist plus I had to stay the night since I had sleep apnea. The total package with 2 years follow up with Nutritionist, trainer and psychologist was around $17K. I used my Health Savings Account to pay for it

~LA

I went to the same surgeon as @@JamieLogical and I paid around $7000 for plane tickets, surgery, extra hotel stay (due to flight cancellation) all postop meds and travel/shopping incidentals while in TJ. It was great not to have all the insurance hoops. I have had multiple postop consults with my surgeons office via email and phone calls and they have a nutritionist available for consult. Surgery was 15 months ago, I had a relatively easy recovery, no complications, and have been maintaining well below goal for 7 months.

I was all self pay in Kansas and received a discount for it. Everything was 11,999. That includes follow up for up to a year, NUT and support groups. I did have to pay an extra 700$ for my throat test since your under anesthesia for it.

Other than that it's just paying for all the supplements you'll be on for the rest of your life and liquid diet stuff which isn't much.

Hope that helps!

I would avoid self-pay if you can, because if something happens and you need extra care, all of that is then self-pay too. I went through about a year long wait, but it was worth it, because I had a complication that added 8 days and $25,000 to my stay - and then a week later I was back in the hospital for a 3 day, $9,000 kidney infection brought on by the complication. I didn't budget for that. In fact, my hospital discourages self pay for that very reason. If the insurance just refuses to pay for your procedure, then self-pay is worth the risk, but if it is just a matter of not wanting to wait, I would NOT go self-pay Paying for the procedure and then all of the extensive, expensive post complication care would have bankrupted me. Waiting for insurance approval took the better part of a year, but it saved me more than $30,000 in inpatient care alone.

I would avoid self-pay if you can, because if something happens and you need extra care, all of that is then self-pay too.

Not necessarily. That depends on your insurance. I had to self-pay because insurance wouldn't cover my WLS, but I confirmed with them that they WOULD cover any post-op complications.

My surgery was billed at 39,800 my surgeon does a cash plan of 25,000 of course I have insurance so I paid 600 for everything but that's what it would cost had I not. I would have went to Mexico!

Insurance not covering complications after self pay isn't true. I was self pay. I've spent more than three weeks in the hospital since January due to complications, and my insurance has covered all of it.

Insurance not covering complications after self pay isn't true. I was self pay. I've spent more than three weeks in the hospital since January due to complications, and my insurance has covered all of it.

It may not be true for *you*, but it was true for *me*. I had BC/BS PPO, and they were very clear about what they would and would not pay for. I had my lap band done in Mexico, and they paid for NO FOLLOWUP CARE of ANY KIND. I checked with them again before my sleeve conversion, and they told me the same would be true this time around.

I'm with Aetna right now.

I apologize, that was supposed to say "isn't *always* true." Leaving out that one word surely made me look like a know it all ass.

My surgery was 9,800 out of pocket that includes everything except pre op test which was $270.00. I'm in Louisiana. The whole process took less than a month everything went very quickly I'm guessing that's because I didn't deal with insurance.

Edited March 22, 201511 yr by hsvice