Hello! I am new to the forum and have just started my gastric sleeve journey. My insurance covers the surgery but requires a 6 month period of weight loss consultation with a healthcare provider along with a list of other prerequisites. I am considering the option of private pay (private financing) instead of waiting 6 months for insurance approval. Curious if anyone else chose to not file with insurance? Pros/cons. Looking for advice.

Hi, and welcome. I used insurance and waited the 6 months. It goes by quickly believe it or not. I couldn't afford the thousands of dollars my surgeon charges to do it on my own. Also, if you go through all the prerequisites you know that you're fit for surgery, and I believe that makes surgery safer. Best of luck whatever you choose.

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Like Briswife, I felt like the 6 month wait wasn't that bad. I spent a lot of time on this forum and many others absorbing what people's experiences are like and understanding the struggles involved. It helped prepare me for what was to come.

I also used that six-month period to do a lot of research and really prep myself for the surgery and post-op life. It also allowed me time to gradually adapt to my new way of eating - I think it would have been much harder if the change had been immediate and drastic. Those six months flew by. If I had to do it again, I would have done it the same way.

Edited April 10, 20197 yr by catwoman7

I wish I had had the option of waiting 6 months and filing with my insurance! My insurance didn't cover it so I went the private pay route and paid $12,000. Think of what you could do with that money instead!

Like others here have said, I think the six month wait is useful in many ways. I have to do a 6 week pre op diet, so the “wait” was basically just 4,5 months. I personally spent that time getting ahead with school and work, doing lots of research and saving up for the time off I’ll need post op. That being said, if I had that money to spend, at the time I probably would have payed out of pocket cause I’m impatient?