My Anthem Covered California will not cover my surgery because my BMI is too low, so I have been contacting various doctors (4 so far have responded) their cash prices. The lap band prices are $15k give or take a couple of 100 and for sleeve have been from $18.5k to $20K.

These doctors were all on the first page of my google search if you want an idea of who I contacted. I'm working my way inland to see if there is any significant price difference. If anybody has already collected this information let know.

I had my surgery in southern California. Palm Springs to be exact. My dr was Dr. Ramy Awad. I went through insurance and it was 100% covered though. He's a great doctor!

I have anthem BC covered CA and they paid for my surgery. My bmi is 33.4. Maybe if you saw another doctor he would know how to get you qualified. What is your bmi?

Linaka,

Thanks for responding. Did you have any co-morbidities if you don't mind sharing?

I'm having my surgery on Nov 12th with Dr. Justin Braverman at the New Program... I have been very happy and feel I'm in good hands...

I live in Los Angeles and consulted with several local surgeons before deciding to simply make the short trip down to Tijuana because of the astronomical cost differences for the VSG. I have Blue Cross Blue Shield of California, but my BMI is also too low to be eligible for any coverage. The most affordable surgeon I found locally was Dr. Waldrep, but it would have been for a procedure he calls "the WRAP" rather than VSG. It was going to be approximately $15,000. For the VSG the expenses ranged from $28,000 to $35,000. We're trying to buy our first house, and I couldn't justify taking that much money from our savings for the downpayment for the surgery.

I was incredibly reluctant to go to Tijuana for surgery, but reading through this forum and others and directly contacting several people who were former patients of the surgeons I was researching and getting positive feedback from them really gave me a peace of mind. I had the VSG with Dr. Fernando Garcia in August, and have been very pleased both with the experience and the results. The total cost was $4200, which included two nights stay at the Marriott and ground transportation. I was actually more impressed with the medical facilities in Tijuana than with some of the local ones. The staff was also more caring and attentive for me. It's a pleasant drive to Tijuana from LA. We made a few stops along the way at pretty and interesting places and still made it there without any rush. There are several surgeons there that people have recommended.