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Anyone chose self pay due to impatience with ins?



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Curious if anyone else decided to self-pay to avoid the wait period and hoops the insurance company makes you jump through? My insurance company wanted a 12 month wait and I would have need to gain and maintain 10 extra pounds because the wouldn't recognize my pre-diabetes as a comorbidity. So I've opted to pay $11,000 in MI and have the surgery done 6/7. I've gotten a lot of mixed reviews from friends and family for bypassing insurance and taking the financial burden but I have no regrets! (Yet!) Curious if any one else made a similar decision?

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I chose self pay because my insurance didn't cover the surgery. I ended up going to Mexico for the surgery and had a great experience. If I would have self payed at a nearby hospital it would have been a lot more money and still an extensive preop process. I had my surgery 2-3 weeks after I called the doctor in Mexico.

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I did the same. My insurance wouldn't even consider me. I ended up doing the surgery in the Dominican Republic and payed 8500 out of pocket. The surgery was scheduled 2 months after I contacted my doctor and the only reason it took that long was because of my work schedule.

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I think the decision to self-pay is based on your financial situation... If paying isn't going to financially devast you, go for it... I too thought of self paying but decided I'd rather just wait out the insurance and spend any extra money on getting a personal trainer and buying new clothes... In addition if I were to need any plastic treatments there's no way insurance is covering that... I'm waiting out the insurance to give myself a financial cushion for things I know insurance isn't going to pay for... Good luck with your decision

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them"

Einstein

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I am trying the insurance route but if for some reason it gets denied (surgeon is confident it will be approved) then I would definitely self pay.

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My insurance doesn't cover bariatric surgery however during my endoscopy they discovered a hiatal hernia & gastric polyps so hoping my insurance will approve. Also I'm border line to having sleep apnea at 4.2 with 5.0 being the mark.

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I am self pay. Surgery date June 16. Didn't want to jump through hoops for a year.

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I originally had the band so they are calling my bypass a revision. Had the band 6-11 to 6-13 and then had complications. Now having gastric bypass June 16

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100% self pay here, too.

Was saving funds for a new car.......said screw it, dude......you need a new YOU more than you need a new ride.

I have zero regrets about cutting that check for my sleeve. Best damn money I've ever spent in my life.

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Curious if anyone else decided to self-pay to avoid the wait period and hoops the insurance company makes you jump through? My insurance company wanted a 12 month wait and I would have need to gain and maintain 10 extra pounds because the wouldn't recognize my pre-diabetes as a comorbidity. So I've opted to pay $11,000 in MI and have the surgery done 6/7. I've gotten a lot of mixed reviews from friends and family for bypassing insurance and taking the financial burden but I have no regrets! (Yet!) Curious if any one else made a similar decision?

Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Hello,

How did your surgery go ?? I am considering Dr pleatman but can only find old threads about him !

Thanks

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I am 100% self pay because my husbands insurance does not cover ANY bariatric services. Although we are having to take a loan out, I can book my surgery in 2 weeks! I am going to Mexico and couldn't be happier with my decision. Financially, it will be a struggle but my health will only deteriorate the longer I have to wait. Best wishes to you!

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I am 100% self pay because my husbands insurance does not cover ANY bariatric services. Although we are having to take a loan out, I can book my surgery in 2 weeks! I am going to Mexico and couldn't be happier with my decision. Financially, it will be a struggle but my health will only deteriorate the longer I have to wait. Best wishes to you!

Hi! Where in Mexico are you going & who did you use for the loan? Im approved at tijuanabariatrics.com w/ Dr Vazquez.

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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

        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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