Did anyone Self pay?
200 DS procedures is plenty. It's not *that* big a trip from where you are, and those trips would only be for your first year if you have an uncomplicated recovery.
If you had "issues," they are 99% likely to be not directly related to your DS altered guts and able to be handled by any competent abdominal surgeon.
However, here's a bottom line: You would be a damned fool to get any surgery with no insurance to back you up. What if you get a nice simple complication like postop pneumonia that puts you in ICU for a week and costs you an extra quarter of a million dollars out of pocket before you ever leave the hospital? Welcome to bankruptcy and a ruined life.
If you have those "issues" of which you are afraid and have no insurance, how are you going to pay for them?
How are you going to pay for your lab tests to the tune of something like a grand every three months?
What if you get a hernia and have to have emergency repair surgery because the thing gets strangulated? How about if your gallbladder fails (assuming it's not removed when you get your WLS)? How are you going to pay for any of this with no insurance?
If you think your husband's insurance is too crappy to spend $$ on, how are you going to find the $$ to take care of your health otherwise?
THIS is why Dr. Peters won't take on patients with no insurance. THIS is why you are in no position to have ANY WLS at all without getting on some kind of insurance. You need the safety net.
If you had "issues," they are 99% likely to be not directly related to your DS altered guts and able to be handled by any competent abdominal surgeon.
However, here's a bottom line: You would be a damned fool to get any surgery with no insurance to back you up. What if you get a nice simple complication like postop pneumonia that puts you in ICU for a week and costs you an extra quarter of a million dollars out of pocket before you ever leave the hospital? Welcome to bankruptcy and a ruined life.
If you have those "issues" of which you are afraid and have no insurance, how are you going to pay for them?
How are you going to pay for your lab tests to the tune of something like a grand every three months?
What if you get a hernia and have to have emergency repair surgery because the thing gets strangulated? How about if your gallbladder fails (assuming it's not removed when you get your WLS)? How are you going to pay for any of this with no insurance?
If you think your husband's insurance is too crappy to spend $$ on, how are you going to find the $$ to take care of your health otherwise?
THIS is why Dr. Peters won't take on patients with no insurance. THIS is why you are in no position to have ANY WLS at all without getting on some kind of insurance. You need the safety net.
Elizabeth: I know there are a lot of self pay patients out there with no insurance. I would love to get insurance, but have not been able to. Due to all my issues I have been denied for years trying to get insurance to cover this surgery. My husbands insurance doesnt cover squat and is very expensive. I have no problem getting and paying for insurance if it covers things.
If you have suggests on insurances I would love to hear them.
If you have suggests on insurances I would love to hear them.
Unfortunately, I know very little about obtaining health insurance, as I was fortunate enough to marry into the military, and before that I lived in Germany with their "evil awful socialized medicine."
The health care reform stuff that's going into effect now will give options to purchase insurance in ways that were not previously available, particularly for people with pre existing conditions. I believe there is a site available that will give a breakdown of what's happening in each state and when. Ms. Cal Culator might know how to find that info.
However, the bottom line is the same: If you go into this with no safety net of health insurance, you are risking utter financial ruin if things go wrong. Not to mention the cost of followup care that will be part of the picture for the rest of your life. It's better to wait and work this out than to rush ahead and not listen to sound counsel.
Please look up Larissa's story. She's someone who wouldn't listen to this very same thing.
The health care reform stuff that's going into effect now will give options to purchase insurance in ways that were not previously available, particularly for people with pre existing conditions. I believe there is a site available that will give a breakdown of what's happening in each state and when. Ms. Cal Culator might know how to find that info.
However, the bottom line is the same: If you go into this with no safety net of health insurance, you are risking utter financial ruin if things go wrong. Not to mention the cost of followup care that will be part of the picture for the rest of your life. It's better to wait and work this out than to rush ahead and not listen to sound counsel.
Please look up Larissa's story. She's someone who wouldn't listen to this very same thing.
SO... I dont understand my mom works at walmart and has AMAZING insurance. It's blue cross blue shield... she DOES pay kind of a lot for it and she DOES have $500+ deductible every year but in general, overall Walmart is a play I've always considered to have really good insurance available. I am so sorry that your husband walmarts is different from the ones here.... geeesh. So weird too being a huge corporation I would think they would offer similar insurance to everyone.
Elizabeth: Open enrollment for my husbands insurance is next month, but it doesnt start until the first of the year. My Drs really do not want me to wait until next year to have surgery. I am covered for financial aid at UVA (where I currently go). My PCP is trying to get as many as the pre op tests done as possible and he will also take care of me post op. He is willing to learn about this operation and so on.
I do not know if that qualifies as a safety net, but I do feel it does. Yes, if something goes wrong at the other hospital then I will wrack up bills. If I need after care or have any issues that can be done at UVA I am ok. I am also appealing my disability denial and I have been trying for Medicaid for a while.
My financial aid at UVA covers way more than my husbands insurance would without a deducible for a lot less money. The only hang up is that the surgeon here does not operate on anyone without surgery that covers WLS. My Drs have urged me to get it done as soon as I can. I have researched for years and years and kept telling myself it was a last resort and thinking my last diet or lifestyle change would be enough to have me lose over 100lbs. Obviously that has not happened and I have medical issues that are due to my weight and getting worse with my weight.
While I understand insurance would be a wonderful thing I do feel a bit better knowing I am covered at UVA if I do go through with this. I hope that makes more sense that I am not totally going into this without any kind of way to pay for after care etc.
I do not know if that qualifies as a safety net, but I do feel it does. Yes, if something goes wrong at the other hospital then I will wrack up bills. If I need after care or have any issues that can be done at UVA I am ok. I am also appealing my disability denial and I have been trying for Medicaid for a while.
My financial aid at UVA covers way more than my husbands insurance would without a deducible for a lot less money. The only hang up is that the surgeon here does not operate on anyone without surgery that covers WLS. My Drs have urged me to get it done as soon as I can. I have researched for years and years and kept telling myself it was a last resort and thinking my last diet or lifestyle change would be enough to have me lose over 100lbs. Obviously that has not happened and I have medical issues that are due to my weight and getting worse with my weight.
While I understand insurance would be a wonderful thing I do feel a bit better knowing I am covered at UVA if I do go through with this. I hope that makes more sense that I am not totally going into this without any kind of way to pay for after care etc.
Hmmm, yeah, that's definitely better than nothing for once you're back home. But as I said before, a simple complication like a week in ICU with pneumonia or something will put you on the track to permanent financial ruin.
So please look into the options (which vary by state) that the healthcare reform stuff is starting to provide. Also, take a look at AFLAC. There are a number of different plans that can be tailored in various ways.
So please look into the options (which vary by state) that the healthcare reform stuff is starting to provide. Also, take a look at AFLAC. There are a number of different plans that can be tailored in various ways.
A quick reply to everyone. When you mentioned the price was that just your surgeons total or the total with the hospital stay? My surgeon charges $32,000 for the surgery, liver biopsy and removal of the appendix. Then separate is the hospital fee for my hospital stay, anesthesiologist and pathology.
Some doctors have a 'package'. For example, my surgeon in Mexico gets several Americans a week. The package is for 4 days hospital, 5 days hotel, surgeon, hospital, anea., leak tests, meds in hospital. The only out of pocket was food for person staying w you and meds for the hotel which was about 200. Also the airfare which was 2000. My pcp did my pre op and post op through my insurance. If you don't have insurance the lab work alone will be hundreds of dollars.
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