Questions about self pay?

 Your post is blacked out :(  Did you mean to do that?  I was looking forward to seeing what you had to say

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Personally, I would check the ins. co. first and save your money for any plastics she might need that aren't covered.  I have never heard of it taking years.  If you do self pay, don't just go by price, research your surgeon.  Sometimes you get what you pay for!  UofM sees alot of  cases who's complications they have to fix.  In fact, my hosp. roommate traveled from TX to MI to have complications fixed when the surgeon she had used damaged her bile duct during her surgery and some other complications. 

You don't mention her BMI, but with my plan if you had a BMI of 40 or higher you didn't have to do anything and could go to the head of the class.  If you had BMI of 35 or higher with 2 or more comorbidities, you had to do a 6 mo diet plan, which is what I had to do.  If she needs to do that, the time will still go by fast in retrospect.

So far, with the hopital bill, anesthesia, hospital pharmaceuticals, and dr. bill, I am at $45,000ish.  I wouldn't be suprised if more show up.   I could never swing that on my own.  The $3,000 deductible was hard enough!

I wish your mom the best!
Paula

Well, depending on your insurance and HMO it can take up to 2 years to get approval.  I had to have 2 years of medical supervision for diet and weight loss from my PCP before my HMO would even send the request to the surgeon.  She has the same insurance as me, Health Net.  I told her that she will want to go the insurance way cause I think it was my provider not my insurance that put that 2 year rule on me.  

I don't know her BMI, I do not ask her weight cause I know she is uncomfortable telling me.  I think my mom is an amazing person and she is so supportive of me with my surgery and I know that must be hard for her cause she wants it so much for herself.  Really, she wants it and needs it for her health.  Some people can carry extra weight and not have serious side effects, but that is not her and I.  We can't carry hardly any extra weight or we get HBP, Lipid issues, diabetes you name it.

I just want her to be around for a LONG LONG time longer.  If she wants to self pay I support that, but I agree she needs to try insurance first cause that is what it is there for. 

Wow, so sad to hear about the crazy requirement.  I have never had an HMO, hence my not being aware of the 2 yrs. to qualify.  Does she have to option of chosing another plan, or does her employer only offer one plan and does that new option have a waiting period before coverage for WLS before switching as it could take just as long if there is.

It's awful the hoops that ins. co.s make you jump through and sadly, HMO's are the worse, but at least you are with a plan that offers WLS and every HMO is different. 

I sure wish you and your mom the best whatever she decides, but she will need to keep in mind if she is paying out of pocket that if she has serious excess skin afterward, lots of plans don't pay to remove (I would check that sooner than later too) and could she potentially afford to do it all out of pocket, or can she live with the excess.  Some people deal with a host of other issues due to excess skin.

Hugs to you and your mom,
Paula