LOOKING FOR A DOCTOR IN MEXICO TO DO THE DUODENAL SWITCH

I have heard that Dr. Ungson is great, but he is too expensive for me. I am going to Mexico because my insurance will not cover a penny of any king of wls. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

He is the only doctor in Mexico that you will get much of an endorsement of here.

I'm not sure what your quote was from Ungston, but I don't think your going to get a DS from anyone with experience for a cheaper price in MX, US or other countries.    I think our lowest US price is 18 or 19K with Dr. Peters in PA.  

Other out of country docs to check:

Dr. Aniceto Baltasar *
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +34 96 533 25 36 (winter) and +34 654 06 40 93 (summer)
Fax: +34 96 533 25 36 and +34 96 533 04 00

Dr. Baltasar, Clinica
Sanitorio San Jorge
Oliver, 55
Alcoy 03803
Alicante
Spain
Phone: +34 96 533 0400

Alcoy Hospital:
Hospital "Virgen de los Lirios"
Caramanchel s/n
03803 Alcoy
Alicante
Spain
Phone: 34 96 553 7400

Patient Support Web Site: Body By Baltasar

Joao Batista Marchesini, MD, FACS
Email: [email protected]
Diplomate of American Board of Surgery
V.P. of Brazilian Society for Bariatric Surgery
Professor of Surgery at Parana University Medical School, Brazil

Rua Bruno Filgueira 369
Curitiba, Paraná
Brazil
Phone: 55 41 342 6264
Fax: 55 41 342 6264

As Tom already said...Ungson is one of the cheapest in the world. You should be under 18,000 for both Ungson and Marchesini, including travel costs. Baltasar is a little higher now, I believe, because of the exchange rate. Either way, you won't find it much cheaper...ALTHOUGH I did hear about someone having it done in Russia (it was really really inexpensive) like around 10000, if I remember correctly.

Does your insurance have a particular exclusion for weight loss surgery?  Is it a self-funded plan?  I think you may be able to file an appeal, but I may be speaking out of turn here.  Someone with more insurance knowledge may chime in.  What insurance co. do you have?

My insurance company doesn't cover the DS, but I filed an apeal and I'm having it done out of network - and they're paying for it.  I'm not sure if I mentioned that bit in our PM :)

Hey Wilde,
I have blue cross blue shield direct hmo and though they do have coverage it depends on what your employer decides to have included in their package rate.....my small company uses a staffing service to do our payroll and benefits......the exclude any weight loss surgery, diet pills ect....I called the insurance company to see if there was any way around it  and they told me no? My internist was willing to send letters and documentation that all of my medical problems would be cured from having the surgery....they said it wouldn't matter!

Unfortunately, small companies have that option.  My company's regular health-care plan (Aetna) specifically excludes WLS , but they also offer an HMO (Kaiser) that does it.  And since it's an HMO, my company can't pick & choose what services they'll cover.  So yeah, I had to wait the year for open enrollment, but I switched to Kaiser, then switched to the DS, fought the good fight, etc.

That sucks, bigtime.

Last I heard it was $12,500.  That's a bargain.  He does what he says he'll do, he surrounds himself with quality people, and I am delighted that he agreed to do the surgery for me. 
Good luck finding it for much less anywhere else, and good luck on the quality of surgery you'll get with that lower price.

(Edited for spelling)

I was quoted 16,500 to have it lap by Ungson......I can do 13,000.00 now, but would have to save to make the 16,500.00 and that doesn't include travel hotel ect.

Right now, Open probably is 12.5 or 13.  You DO know that if Dr. Ungson performs it lap, and he runs into difficulties, you're gonna be open anyway?  And still be paying for lap?
My scar is 2 years 3 months old, and nearly impossible to see.  It looked huge when it was new, because I was huge.  I have a lot of surgery scars on my body that are a lot older, that are much more visible that the one Dr. Ungson put on me.
I'd do it open again if I had to make the choice.

Just want to add that it's a perfectly legitimate charge that Dr. Ungson passes on to the patient.  The tools he uses for laproscopic surgery can't be re-used, so if he "breaks them out" on you, they can't be returned, thus the reason for passing the charge on to the patient.

Don't want anyone thinking that it's some kind of trick he plays on anyone.....