Let me just say that I admire all of you that have had to self pay. I have to ask the question though...."if you were approved by your insurance and all cost were covered, but the doc wanted thousands more than insurance will pay, would you pay the difference?"

Like any other service or business, you have choices. And, if you are having issues with their service this early in the deal, I say find another doctor. Right now you are negotiating dollar amounts with him, later it could be your health.

I will find a doc that accepts my insurance fully, I will even pay thousands to travel to a doc that does before I pay someone who was not up front about it. My insurance was good enough for him to take a few hundred dollar difference for the consult but not good enough for the surgaery? That is just wrong!

I would check with Tri-care and see who else is in network for this. I would then call the doctors office and explain everything and get a letter from Tricare saying that you are approved and send the doctor everything for his files. Hope you get it the band quickley.

Chris