Feel like I just got ripped off

My surgeon (like most) requires a meeting with their staff pyschologist.  I have no problem with that...in fact I think its a great idea.  So I have my meeting with her today.  First, you have to pay in cash.  CASH, as in dollar bills.  She does not take insurance.  ANY insurance.  I don't pay for anything in cash these days...half the time i even pay for my morning coffee with my debit card.  Weird, but whatever. 

So she asks me a few perfunctionary questions about my life -- my education, what I do for a living, am i married.  Nothing about why I eat, my expectations for after surgery, how I plan on dealing with not being able to eat.  I fill out a 10 question questionnaire.  "Which of these most accurately describes how you feel?" And it's things like "I am never sad, I am often sad, I am sad all the time, etc.  I fill it out, she looks it over for a minute, she's like "This looks fine."

Then I paid her her $150.  And that was it.

I'm happy I passed, not that I had any expectation that I wouldn't.  But $150 for that?  I feel like it was a total waste of time and money.  I HATE feeling like I got ripped off, and that is exactly how I feel right now.  So annoying.

MM

I completely understand.  I got much more for my $150.

I went out of the country for my surgery and didn't have a psych eval, so I don't have anything to compare it to.  However, I would be surpremely p*ssed if I spent that kind of $$ and didn't at least have the person go over some of the feelings and issues that might come up post WLS and how to deal with them. 

If I were you I would wait until your surgery is over and everything is done and at that last check up I would tell the doc how it went (he/she may not know) and how you felt about it.  Or write a letter and have him/her read it in your presence.  That's just me.

I agree with Leslie.  Let them know...after your surgery.  That's not cool.

~Katherine

and the surgeon's office probably got half the fee from her....I agree that a lot of these "mils" are ripping us off - makes Mexico seem like such a better deal.

And Mexico definitely was!    I'm so glad I didn't have to go through any of those "mill games", but IF your insurance pays for your surgery, then I suppose you are still ahead financially.

 Oh I'm self pay...which makes it even worse.  Had to shell out $150 of my own money ON TOP of the fee for he surgery.

Ridic!

Yikes...you were ripped off, as were several people on this post!  I would definitely complain about the poor evaluation service you received.  This whole subject from almost everyone has been making me even more grateful that I went to Mexico for my VSG...$8,000 for EVERYTHING less than two months ago, door-to-door transportation, surgeon, meds, tests, surgery, hospital, private home after care, follow up appts & tests with doctors...IF you have to self-pay, this is the only way to go.  IF you are self pay in the states and there are any complications, you will have to self-pay those expenses also, but NOT in Mexico with the right surgeon...they take care of everything under the original package deal price!  IF I have to self-pay, that is the kind of care I want!

Just a bunch of BS. To bad she is stealing money. And we are all desperate to get surgery so we will pay that and even more.

My Psych appointment cost me $200 and she talked more about herself than focusing on me.  Everybody else I called was going to charge me $500, So I was just glad I didn't pay that much.  Sure wish I made $200/HR.