VSG (Mexico), or RNY insurance pays

Hi all,

I've been a lurker here for 5+ years.  I researched this board about 5 years ago and decided on a lap band.   I had the lap band in March 2005 in TJ with Dr. Ortiz.  The band slipped and I had it removed (also by Dr. Ortiz) in March 2006.   So now....I'm back at the same weight I was prelap band.

My insurance will cover the RNY, or band.  I don't want to go through the band  experience again.  I really don't want an RNY either.  I would prefer the VSG, but my insurance won't cover it, and the the only way we can pay for it would be to go to Mexico again.

Has anybody else been in this predicament?  Any suggestions?

I had the same predicament and chose self pay for VSG.
A great decision! If I had it to do over I would go to Mexico as the surgeon here only knows about surgery and everything else is not his department, so the 17,000 I spent would have been less to go to
Mexico. I have followed Dr Aceves and would have chosen him.
Everything else you need to know is on this site. Aceves also wrote a book which I bought & it is very good.

Thanks Elaine!

I don't want to have to pay another $10K,  (the  band was a waste of money for me).  I have been reading a lot about Dr. Aceves.  I believe he would be my choice as well.

Open enrollment is also coming around for my employer, so I'm wondering if any of the other insurance carriers they offer (BCBS, Aetna)  might cover the sleeve.  I've been around and around their web sites looking for it, but it's hard to find individual policy information.


I am one month away from completing my 6 month supervised diet!!  But I still can't talk myself into the RNY!

Aetna has covered the VSG for the past year and a half with the typical 35/40 BMI limits.

If it were a choice between a self pay VSG and a covered RNY, I would definetly go self pay VSG if at all possible - we're talking about making an investment for the rest of your life. My wife and I made the same decision to self-pay for her DS a few years ago when the DS was not commonly covered by insurance rather than put up with an RNY.

By the way my surgeon is a vey gifted surgeon with a wonderful bedside manner - just doesn't have a good aftercare program & the wrong staff.

I definitely would have self paid my sleeve before I had a RNY.

 I would have self paid for my sleeve before I would settle for RNY.  

I have BCBS Basic and switched to this plan during open enrollment last year because they seemed to have the best WLS benefits of all the plans I compared. The operation cost me exactly $150 out of pocket. For WLS, the basic option is better (and premiums are cheaper for some reason) than the standard option. I should say that I am in CA and my BCBS is a Federal Employee plan. Don't know enough to say if other BCBS plans differ in WLS coverage.

At the time I had surgery my insurance covered RYN and Lap Band. I did my research and decided on the VSG and self-paid for the procedure.

Had I known about the Mexico option for the VSG I would have gone that route and saved some money. Never-the-less I have no regrets about paying for the VSG. It's the best investment I could have made for my long term health and happiness.

My insurance wouldn't cover any wls, so I had my pick of the four options and whether to stay in Atlanta and have it done here or go to Mexico.  I researched surgeons and decided that the best one for me was Dr. Alvarez in Mexico.  The Atlanta surgeons at that time didn't have anywhere near the experience with sleeves that Dr. Alvarez had, or Drs. Aceves and Joya.  I have never regretted my choice for one second, and I highly recommend Dr. Alvarez!
--Dorothy