I have an appointment with a nurse with a weight loss surgery center in Sept and I cannot wait.

I just have a few questions, I noticed alot of you guys are self pay. Was the surgery expense with self pay. i have insurance but I don't know if they will pay for the surgery. I am 30 years old and at about 270. I really want to loose weight but I have tried everything. I don't think I can afford the surgery if the insurance doesn't pay for it.

The surgery center that I am going to requires seven months of information and appointments before surgery is that normal? :eek:

I have an appointment with a nurse with a weight loss surgery center in Sept and I cannot wait.

I just have a few questions, I noticed alot of you guys are self pay. Was the surgery expense with self pay. i have insurance but I don't know if they will pay for the surgery. I am 30 years old and at about 270. I really want to loose weight but I have tried everything. I don't think I can afford the surgery if the insurance doesn't pay for it.

The surgery center that I am going to requires seven months of information and appointments before surgery is that normal? :eek:

Hey JordansMom! WELCOME. You're in the BEST place to gain insider information, advice and encouragement. Without this board, I don't know what I would have done. You're getting educated about this 'tool'...which is the best thing you could be doing for yourself. I don't know about self-pay; I'm sure there are other Bandsters that will reply to you. I can tell you that reading this forum, new and old posts, there is a wealth of information and experiences with self pay.

Months of past medical history usually is required. So gathering this information ahead of time is key. I went to my OBGYN, my Gen. Practice Doctor, Cardiologist, etc...(any doc visits you can think of)...and obtain records from them. Especially anything that shows or documents your obesity history and/or medical conditions associated. In the end, all of this will help with getting you approved.

Good luck!!!! :clap2:

i paid cash, but i have insurance. i did not want to wait till i was approved . no jumping threw there hoops. i wanted to do it right away. when i first heard about the lapband i was so excited. i could not believe that there was such a great alternative to the cutting and stapling. i could not have done the other invasive procedures. i hope you are able to get approved. i lost over 100 lbs in just short of 2 years. it was the best thing i ever did. for the most part it has been easy and uncomplicated. some troubles with acid reflux and gerd. but for what i look like today, it has been a great solution. i went to mexico and paid 8000.00 . i love it there. good luck and any questions email me.

I paid $16,500 for my surgery. It included one year of office visits/fills. After researching the band and related topics regarding the surg/aftercare/emotional aspects, etc, I called them Jan 10th and had my presurg workup done, nutrition visit, psyc eva and had my surgery Jan 29th. I met all the requirments, ie, BMI was over the limit, Hypertension, shot left knee, depression, blah blah blah. My weight loss is less than others who had theirs done at the same time,,and it is higher than some. All I care about is that my surgeon is pleased with my progress,,and so am I. I compare myself TODAY against how I was before the band. Physically and emotionally, I'm in a much better space.

Keep on posting and reading posts. Use what you can and disgard the rest. You are not alone on your jorney!!

banded 1/29/07

Dr Ken Cleveland-CMMC-Jackson, MS

It depends on your insurance carrier. My insurance wouldn't cover the procedure last year, but then changed their policy in January to cover it this year. It would cover gastric bypass but that wasn't what I wanted so I waited hoping their policy would change and it did! :whoo: I didn't have to go through months of supervised diet, but friends of mine who were banded within a week of me did...they had different insurance carriers. My insurance approved within 4 1/2 weeks of my request and I didn't have hypertension or sleep apnea or any other medically documented condition other than having a BMI over 40. Don't give up! GOOD LUCK!

jordansmom- I was self-pay at $17,500 here in florida. That does include a year of fills. My insurance would not cover weight lose surgery, but I know some of them do. Since I was self pay my doctor would have done my surgery within 2-3 wks if I would have gotten all of my pre-op stuff done in that time frame. Good Luck-Kelli