goldndiamondzboy

Does anyone have experience buying medical tourism insurance that covers not only complications while abroad but also complications that arise upon return? The only insurance company I'm aware of that offers it is Four Corners, and it's their International Travel Medical Insurance plan. You can renew it for up to 3 years post-op. It's pricey, between $500-$700 depending on how long you want coverage for (45 days to one year). Anyway, I'm just trying to determine whether my regular insurance company will cover issues like strictures or late occurring staple leaks or if It will become a bankrupting medical issue and thus should buy the insurance.

Those with quality concerns can pay a higher price and go with a place like Obesity Control Center. They are accredited by The Joint Commission International - the same accreditation agency that regulates U.S. hospitals. That's not a small undertaking - there are unannounced inspections annually that cover a 2-in manual's worth of rules, including extensive quality and infection control standards, and the regular collection and analysis of quality data, e.g, complication and mortality rates. OCC was also designated a Bariatric Center of Excellence by the accrediting agency Surgical Review, which has its own education, qualification and on-site inspection process. It's not about the location, it's about the standards for performance excellence that the physicians, nurses, and even environmental services staff, set for themselves to achieve AND have externally validated.

If it's Ortiz through OCC, then it's not the same surgeon. They just have similar names.

I'm with Ortiz too on May 21st!

I haven't seen a thread yet discussing insurance coverage of any treatment that is needed post-surgery. Is that also exclusively out-of-pocket? I would imagine that's one of the top risks considering the relative frequency of complications. Does that lack of coverage convey to new insurance plans? Considering that some conditions may or may not be related to the surgery, are you set-up for insurance fights for life? Thank you for your experiences with this.

Thank you @@friarmyth and @Kindle. There are a significant proportion of people on here who are self-pay so I imagined there were enough people who experienced complications. I think the issue of complications down the road is a significant potential cost that may far outweigh short-term savings, particularly if this lack of coverage holds true over 10 or 20 years, and across policies. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Thank you, Bill. I guess I was really asking about complications experienced after you cross the border. From the short-term, like followup care after a serious post-surgery complication, to the long-term, like a marginal ulcer as a result of gastric bypass. I feel like I read about a lot of WLS-related complications long-term, minor or major. Does anyone have experience with insurance coverage of complications back in their home country? Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App