$$Money$$

[Natalina 1]

So... am I the only one and am I overreacting. I'm terrified that I will be asked to pay an amount of money the day of surgery that I cant afford and end up not being able to have surgery

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[mcmom2016 13]

I think your doctor should have gotten insurance approval ahead of time, unless your ins is not covering. Either way, have they not discussed payment yet?

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[Natalina 1]

My insurance covers 90% but we haven't gotten me over cost yet bc he said it depends on my status of my insurance at the time of surgery which I did not have a date yet. Still trying to get these clearances out of the way

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[negrita 18]

Just go to Mexico .. I am

I'm 4 the New me! !

[gemigirl 134]

The hospital called me to pre-register and at that time reviewed my co-pay and what I would be responsible for as I hadn't reached my insurance's max out of pocket yet. I would suggest reaching out to them beforehand and asking them what to bring for payment the day of surgery. They will have almost always verified that your insurance is covering you for the procedure.

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[redfire_angel75 62]

I would check into any financial aid the hospital.might offer. I'm employed through the health system that is doing my surgery and we have a big enough system (OhioHealth) that our insurance is really reasonable. After our $1,200 copay/out of pocket the surgery is $6,000. I just found out 2 weeks ago if I sign up for financial aid 100% of my surgery will be paid. I'd try it, what do you have to lose?

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[redfire_angel75 62]

I would check into any financial aid the hospital.might offer. I'm employed through the health system that is doing my surgery and we have a big enough system (OhioHealth) that our insurance is really reasonable. After our $1,200 copay/out of pocket the surgery is an additional $6,000 with 80/20 coverage after that. I just found out 2 weeks ago if I sign up for financial aid 100% of my surgery will be paid. I'd try it, what do you have to lose?

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[blizair09 3,250]

Trust me, the doctor is going to make sure that he/she has secured his/her money long before you get that far along. I only had about $1400 left to hit my out-of-pocket max, and I had to pay a $700 "down payment" to the doctor before they would even schedule the surgery.

I decided a long time ago that WLS is just as much of (if not more) a profit-driven business as it is a results-driven healthcare endeavor.

[KristenLe 5,979]

@@Natalina If you have insurance covering most of it (and a prior authorization) - do not worry! They aren't going to refuse surgery if you can't pay at the time of check-in. Simply tell them you don't have the $$ - and weren't aware you would have to pay. Most people don't bring anything with them to the hospital besides an ID and insurance card. If they want $ ahead of time -they'll call and let you know.

[laceemouse 631]

So... am I the only one and am I overreacting. I'm terrified that I will be asked to pay an amount of money the day of surgery that I cant afford and end up not being able to have surgery

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I have never heard of an elective procedure where they did not tell you beforehand how much you are going to have to pay. Most hospitals are going to do pre-check-in verification of insurance. They will know how much your insurance will pay and how much you are responsible for before they even admit you. With my surgeon you can back out up to 24 hours before the surgery. My guess is many people chicken out but I would guess that some people back out, or postpone, due to not having the funds for their co-pay yet. That being said most hospitals offer credit to help you pay the rest, you would just be paying back with interest.

A co-pay is still going to be cheaper than going to Mexico.

Edited October 3, 2016 by laceemouse