hello, i just joined. i am not getting surgery, but i am thinking about it. i actually plan to call a surgeon tomorrow to get some answers but i decided to go ahead and ask some questions here to see if anyone can relate.

i'm 24 years old and about 250 lbs. i am what you call a poor college student. i still live with the parents and i have a job that pays just a few bucks over minimum wage. i pay for college with loans and grants so i never ask my parents for any money.

my question is, am i a candidate for a payment plan? i don't work full time so insurance is out of the question.

i'm just wondering how much payment plans usually are. i have a feeling i don't make enough to even be considered for one, which kind of makes me sad.

anyway, looking forward to some feedback.

thanks for reading!

Wish I could help you, but I think it will depend on who you go to and what kind of financing you can get.

You might want to go to one of the free siminars that most of the docs offer and see what you find out.

I haven't been to anything yet so I'm not really sure. I go to my first encounter next week.

T

Will depend on your credit history, the rate you qualify for, the terms of the loan, the amount of your loan, etc.

A very, very generic average is to pay about $25 per $1000 borrowed for a 5 year loan. So let's say your band cost $10,000, you might see payments around $250/month.

But that's as generic as saying you can qualify for a mortgage of 3x your annual income -- soooooo many factors come in to play with that, that you really have to take it as a shot in the dark.

i am in the EXACT SAME BOAT AS YOU!!!!! only i am on my moms insurance, and that covers my surgery. talk to them, and get answers. remember, even if you think you are qualified for the surgery, you better make sure the surgeons do too!

Oh, also - think outside the box. If you don't qualify for financing, do you have good credit? If so, pursue a credit card with a LOC large enough to pay whatever part of the charge you can't. If it's high interest, see about xfering to a locked APR until paid in full.

Since you haven't asked your parents for money for school, perhaps you could ask them for this? If able, they may be willing to help you out, considering it's their child's health.

I hate to suggest it because I only took out student loans for 5 years, I've been paying 3x what's due on them, and I'm barely chipping away at my principal BUT you could seek the max payment per semester and use the extra toward the surgery. Consolidated student loans run around 8% and that's pretty darn competitive. Much better than most of the credit cards you're likely to qualify for. Of course, this is assuming the total amount of your disbursement isn't consumed by tuition. I was stupid when I got student loans, so I was getting disbursements of about 4k per semester, with a bill around 2k, and I was really bad about blowing the leftover money. If I were in your shoes, I'd seriously consider putting it toward a band.

As for your qualifications - qualifications get a lot more malleable once self-pay comes into the picture. Guidelines are BMI 40+, or 35+ with 2+ comorbidities. You may or may not be there, depending on your height. You weigh just a bit more than me, but I'm around 5'10 - 5'11 and might have to pull some strings for insurance approval now. That probably wouldn't be the base with self-pay.

Ok, 3 posts to one thread is quite enough. :confused:

i am in the EXACT SAME BOAT AS YOU!!!!! only i am on my moms insurance, and that covers my surgery. talk to them, and get answers. remember, even if you think you are qualified for the surgery, you better make sure the surgeons do too!

i won't be on her insurance anymore because i turn 25 soon, but i know it wouldn't cover it anyway.

As for your qualifications - qualifications get a lot more malleable once self-pay comes into the picture. Guidelines are BMI 40+, or 35+ with 2+ comorbidities. You may or may not be there, depending on your height. You weigh just a bit more than me, but I'm around 5'10 - 5'11 and might have to pull some strings for insurance approval now. That probably wouldn't be the base with self-pay.

Ok, 3 posts to one thread is quite enough. :confused:

thanks wheetsin! i was actually thinking of using my student loan to help pay for the surgery. i think things will become more clear when i start talking to the doctors office. i really appreciate the input so far. :tt1: