Would you have self paid?

If I had the money? In a heart beat.

My insurance covered most of my surgery. I only had to pay my deductible and out of pocket. I would not have been able to afford the surgery if my insurance had not covered it.

As far as insurance goes (I work in health insurance), the follow ups should just be standard office visits. Though typically if insurance excludes weight loss surgery, they exclude the diagnosis of over weight, obese and morbid obese; if that is the case then your office visits may not be covered because your doctor will more than likely bill your visit with one of those diagnosis (since that is why you had the surgery in the first place). The nutritionist could be hit or miss depending on your insurance. Non-grandfathered plans are required to cover nutritional counseling (regardless of the diagnosis) when seeing an in-network provider. If your plan is grandfathered then you would be out of luck there as well. Moral of this story: Every insurance is different; you are better off calling and getting it straight from the hoarses mouth than taking advise from someone online

But I am pretty good at my job

I was on the cusp of insurance requirements. With my BMI, I had to have one co-morbidity, but even the co-morbidities for my plan coverage were extreme. So, my mild sleep apnea didn't cut it. Because my high blood pressure was proven through clinical office notes over a six-month period, they accepted that, thank goodness! But all along, the self-pay route was on the table for me because I wasn't sure how my insurance approval would go. My doc office did discourage self-pay because complications would not be covered either. I was glad that they were upfront about that and were more willing to exhaust insurance options and appeals before self-pay. I was willing to go on a payment plan for the cost of the surgery, but didn't want to put my family in financial ruin if there were complications. So it was a very tough decision for us. But I do think this life-changing tool is amazing enough to consider the self-pay route, especially after I've tried to lose weight so many other ways for so many years. (Safe to say I've already spent a boatload of money on WL remedies! Ha ha!) Luckily, my insurance company approved me. I pondered this question, though, and discussed it with my husband for about five months! 

I was self pay and I'm only two months post op and I can honestly say I would do it again. I put myself in debt to have this surgery totally worth it! 

I waited four years to have insurance that would cover surgery since I could not afford to self pay. If I could have wrangled a way, I would have gone self pay.

I will have to self pay for any plastics I chose to have, and I am already thinking how to fund those.

You and me both on the plastics.  My insurance -might- cover it, but who knows, so I figure I should plan for them not to.  But the cost seems very overwhelming.  Sigh.