What happens if you attend your first appointment and don't qualify for insurance?

I am curious what happens if you attend your first appointment and don't qualify for insurance.  Even though I am considered obese at at BMI of 34, and will submit insurance paperwork, I have a strong feeling I will be denied.  I am interested in the gastic sleeve, do you still proceed as normal, just under the understanding your procedure will be covered out-of-pocket and does anyone know how much this generally runs? My Insurance is Keystone Health Plan East and have not found them so easy oking things.

You're right, insurance probably won't cover it.  If the surgeon agrees it's medically necessary, then you can self pay.  If the surgeon feels surgery is not medically  necessary, then he won't perform the surgery.

I'm not sure how much it would cost.  The surgeon can tell you what his fee would be.  You might need to check with the hospital about their fees.  There will be a fee for the hospital stay, a separate bill from the anesthesiologist, maybe a separate bill from the radiologist if they do an upper GI the day after surgery to check for leaks (not all surgeons do that, some test for leaks while you're still in the OR).

Every insurance company I have heard about does things different, with one exception. They all have a minimum requirement of a BMI of 40 for WLS, or a BMI of 35 with comorbidities, such as diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure and cholesterol, etc.

Right now it sounds like you would not qualify, but there is one sure way to find out.

My surgeon quoted his self-pay prices at the info session he does twice a month, whi*****ludes the pre-surgery testing, hernia repair if needed, anesthesia, overnight in the hospital, and whatnot. Depending on the particular surgery, it ranges from $22 - $25k, though it will obviously depend on the hospital, area of the country, etc.

Some insurance companies do not cover the surgery -- period.  End of Story.  

Some insurance companies cover it - and have specific guidelines you must follow.  So if they cover it, find out their guidelines.

Some insurance companies cover it - but if you're employed, your employer may have placed an exclusion on their policy to lower their premiums.  So if you work, check with your insurance company first, then check with HR at work to see if there's an exclusion.

Don't do anything until you confirm coverage.  If no coverage, you have to self-pay; many people go to Mexico where the cost is much lower.  If you have to self-pay, you can use the search feature here (magnifying glass in upper right cover) to get more information.