No Insurance coverage for weight loss surgery.

[SophieJo 6]

Wow! You got a really good deal!

[Miamibigjr 1]

Just had Dr sergio Quinones do my VSG $5300. I paid a few $$ for the upgrades

[Jaye W 218]

I recommend you call the hospital billing department and ask what the self pay price is. I know it can be a discount compared to the insurance price.

[blackcatsandbaddecisions 844]

Yeah the surgeon I used has a self pay price of 10k as I recall. He’s in Oregon and is very experienced, I had about a half dozen people recommend him. I would have used him again in a heartbeat and if my insurance hadn’t covered it I would have paid out of pocket.

[Bookkeeper bariatric 10]

On 2/4/2021 at 2:58 PM, JMJames92 said:

Just out of curiosity, how much did the surgery cost you out of pocket? Feel free to tell me to beat it if you are uncomfortable telling me. I just know that my insurance paid ~$80,000 for my surgery. It was definitely one of the best decisions I have ever made but I couldn't imagine dropping that kind of money.

That is a huge number rigth there!, i paid 18,000 out of pocket

[STLoser 1,085]

Our insurance plan did not include wls, and there was no way they would cover it, even if I tried to appeal that it was medically necessary. Unfortunately, I had to pay out of pocket.

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[STLoser 1,085]

Also, it was totally worth every penny. I paid 21, 800 out of pocket.. My surgery was 6 months ago. I started at 393 lbs. and a bmi of 69.9. I'm am 272 now and I think my bmi is 49.8. I still have a long way to go, but I am so happy I chose to pay out of pocket.

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[JMJames92 113]

49 minutes ago, Bookkeeper bariatric said:

That is a huge number rigth there!, i paid 18,000 out of pocket

33 minutes ago, STLoser said:

Also, it was totally worth every penny. I paid 21, 800 out of pocket.. My surgery was 6 months ago. I started at 393 lbs. and a bmi of 69.9. I'm am 272 now and I think my bmi is 49.8. I still have a long way to go, but I am so happy I chose to pay out of pocket.

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Wow!! Back when I had my surgery (honestly even today but more so back then) if my insurance wouldn't have covered it then it may as well have been $10,000,000, I would be just as unable to pay it haha!

[Starwarsandcupcakes 1,894]

On 2/6/2021 at 11:05 AM, It's time. said:

See a cardiologist immediately. With complete heart block you need a pacemaker.

This was my first thought as well. Heart blocks are some scary stuff.
OP- hopefully you find a solution that works for you and that you’re on the path to health soon.

[Circus321 58]

There’s a 0% chance they would cover it if it’s not in your plan. Insurance companies don’t actually care about their clients’ health. My insurance won’t cover it either (my secondary actually covers 100% but won’t pay unless my primary covers it which it doesn’t 😣) so I’m paying out of pocket for mine. I did some searching for clinics in my area and found one that does it for $11,000 or $250 a month for 5 years. That’s about what I’ve spent on diet food and diet plans per month in the past so it’s not too bad. They also have programs in Mexico for like $5,000 which have good reviews, I’d do that if my boyfriend and I wouldn’t have to quarantine and miss work for 2 weeks afterwards. How much do you pay in medication and doctor bills now? Even if you have to pay for the surgery it will negate some of those costs which will make it worth it too. Good luck!

[Miamibigjr 1]

There’s a 0% chance they would cover it if it’s not in your plan. Insurance companies don’t actually care about their clients’ health. My insurance won’t cover it either (my secondary actually covers 100% but won’t pay unless my primary covers it which it doesn’t [emoji21]) so I’m paying out of pocket for mine. I did some searching for clinics in my area and found one that does it for $11,000 or $250 a month for 5 years. That’s about what I’ve spent on diet food and diet plans per month in the past so it’s not too bad. They also have programs in Mexico for like $5,000 which have good reviews, I’d do that if my boyfriend and I wouldn’t have to quarantine and miss work for 2 weeks afterwards. How much do you pay in medication and doctor bills now? Even if you have to pay for the surgery it will negate some of those costs which will make it worth it too. Good luck!

Unless you have a job that requires no physical effort, you will need to recover for minimum 2 weeks anyway, so you don't hurt your procedure.

[LindsayS0917 7]

$9990 is what i have been quoted in Alabama @ Alabama Weight Loss. That includes the outpatient surgery, post op visits and surgery complication insurance. I have my consultation the 15th and will have more details. I will be self pay because my insurance has bariatric coverage but there is a 6 month waiting period and my BMI isnt high enough even with the comorbidities I have.

Edited February 8, 2021 by LindsayS0917

[STLoser 1,085]

Wow!! Back when I had my surgery (honestly even today but more so back then) if my insurance wouldn't have covered it then it may as well have been $10,000,000, I would be just as unable to pay it haha!

Yes, I understand. I wanted the surgery for many years and never had insurance that covered it, so I never planned to get it. When the surgeon who took my gallbladder out told me my liver was so bad he didn't think I'd make it to 60 if I didn't lose weight, I decided to get the money out of my 401k. It wasn't something I'd ever considered doing because I wanted to save that money for retirement, but hearing that surgeon's words made me realize I would never be able to use that money if I was dead anyway! There's no way I could have come up with that money if it weren't for the 401k, though.

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[kellym1220 472]

I went to Dr Shillingford in Boca Raton (or West Palm) and paid $10,800 out of pocket. I financed it with Care Credit, at about 14% interest...which seemed like a lot, so I paid it down as quickly as possible!

[Circus321 58]

On 02/08/2021 at 10:12, Miamibigjr said:

Unless you have a job that requires no physical effort, you will need to recover for minimum 2 weeks anyway, so you don't hurt your procedure.

I know, I meant my boyfriend would have to take off work for an extra 2 weeks if we did it in Mexico and wouldn’t if we did it here. My job is very physical so I plan to take off for a month