nursekathy2u

David Kim, MD in Colleyville Texas is $9950. www.drdkim.net

Yes I did. I also work for him. He is wonderful and so is our staff. He will be doing surgery at Forest Park Medical Center in Dallas when it opens and if you live over that way and prefer to have your fills done at Forest Park instead of driving to Colleyville then the price would decrease to $9950. That included 6 fills , 3 with fluoro and 3 without for 1 year. The $10,500 price includes unlimited fills and aadjustments at our office for one year.

Hey, Billb,

Did your health insurance pay for this, or did you have to come up with the money?

Do you mind if I ask...how much?

(I'm in the area, and I"m looking for a good doctor at an affordable price)

Check out Dr. David Kim in Colleyville. His cash price is $10,500 and includes all fills and adjustments for one year. The fills are done by his Physicians assistant who is also a registered dietitian. Bariatric Weight Loss LAP-BAND System Gastric Bypass Surgery Arlington Dallas Fort Worth (Ft. Worth) Texas (TX)

Dr. David Kim in Colleyville accepts Mexico patients. $200 for fluoro fill. Bariatric Weight Loss LAP-BAND System Gastric Bypass Surgery Arlington Dallas Fort Worth (Ft. Worth) Texas (TX)

Actually everything is covered at 100% after you meet your deductible and OOP max UNTIL the insurance pays $20,000. Then YOU are responsible for 100% of the rest of the charges over the $20,000 maximum your insurance a,lows for the surgery. This $20,000 will include all bills associated with the surgery ie. surgeon, surgical assistant, hospital, lab, xray, radiologist, anesthesiologist etc. That also includes any post op charges after your 90 day global period that are associated with your surgery like fills, xrays, port replacement surgery in the future (if needed). You should be able to get quotes from your surgeon and the hospital of the esitmated charges prior to surgery. Some folks in your shoes find it is sometimes cheaper for them to pay cash, depending on the cash pay prices in your area. Then they save their insurance benefits for use after surgery.

I was so happy to find this thread. I also have UHC choice plus and I was a little concerned about whether or not I would be approved.

My BMI is 35.1 and I have PCOS,

I had gestational diabetes with both my pregnancy's and

my paternal grandmother and father both had diabetes. (both died in their early 60's)

I also have documentation for the past 6 years for weight loss consults through my PCP's office (he has had me on every prescription drug out there and none of them worked) but I dont think my BMI was over 35 everytime I went.

My sugar level is very close right now to putting me in the diabetic catagory and I'm really hoping that I can get my insurance to approve the lap band.

Dose anyone know if I have enough "stuff" to get this approved?

My advice would be to have a sleep study done to see if you have sleep apnea. Also, when you submit your weights only submit the ones for each year that were over 35 BMI. Gestational diabetes does not count and neither does PCOS. UHC accepts only hypertension uncontrolled despite 2 medications, hyperlipidemia uncontrolled despite meds, heart disease, uncontrolled diabetes and sever sleep apnea. Good Luck!

I do Bariatric insurance approvals for a living. Aetna only requires 2 years of weight history. It must be a full 24 months from whatever day your insurance approval request is submitted. If you don't have doctor documention they will accept weight watchers logs, Jenny Craig weigh ins, etc. Anywhere you were weighed and someone else documented your weight. Also consider whether or not you visited Care now or the ER, had a work physical or were in the hospital for any reason. All of those are places to find your weight histroy. Good Luck!

www.drdkim.net Check out Dr. David Kim in Colleyville.

Nurse Kathy... I was banded by Dr Kim on Dec 1, 2008, and am wondering about the support group for his patients? Do you know of one, and if so, when/where do they meet?

Thanks!

Hi Wendy,

Lap band support group meets once a month at our office. Here is the information for the January meeting:

Lap Band Support Group:

Speaker: Jake Merrick -Personal Trainer

Getting Motivated to start your Exercise Program

Date: January 22nd Thursday night

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: Dr. Kim’s office 35 Veranda Lane Colleyville, Texas 76034

Phone: 817-581-6100

Kathy

Dr. Kim has dropped his cash price to $11,900 and includes 1 year of follow-up and lap band adjustments.

It is going to take a miracle to get the Lapband surgery done.My insurance (Aetna has an exclusion) will not cover it.My husband new fulltime job want cover it either.I only was approved for 2000.00 with care credit.I am so upset right now.I just feel like I am fighting a battle that can not be won.To have the surgery here is 17,500.00..I do not want to give up but it seems as if i do not have a choice.Please pray for a miracle to come my way.I am congratulate all those who have either had the surgery or will have the surgery.

Just some ideas.. Care Credit and capital one will allow loans to be taken out for you in someone elses name. Could a parent, sibling or close friend get a loan for you? Some people borrow against their 401K. Some travel to another state where it is cheaper. (only $11,900 with my surgeon in Texas) Some got to Mexico where it is even cheaper than that. Some folks seek employment at companies whose insurance covers the surgery. And NEVER quit praying for your miracle!

I would gather the weights yourself and then only present the weights where your BMI is above 35. You don't have to turn in every single weight so just leave out the ones that are too low. Also, Aetna does consider elevated BP a co-morbidity but usually only if it is "uncontrolled despite 2 medications" They do not accept high cholesterol. I would recommend having a sleep study done to see if you have sleep apnea since they do accept that diagnosis if it is severe enough.

Good Luck!

Kathy

Hello! Look up Dr. David Kim in Colleyville. His cash price ranges from $11,900 to $12,400 (depending on which facility you have surgery at). His cash price includes free lap band or Realize band adjustments and office visits for 1 year. He also has his own dietitian on staff. His website is www.drdkim.net

Good Luck!!

Kathy

OMG....yeah he's totally trying to rip off your insurance...and even with 2 days at a hospital that does not add up 80,000 + dollars.....Example- my son who was born 2 months premature lived in NICU for 1 MONTH! his statement of charges was 89,000 dollars....thats understandable....a lap band,slight bleeding,2 days in a hospital....I think not.

I have to say the more I deal with doctors the more I have a complete distain for them....dishonest,unethical,Greedy arrogant and the biggest BS'ERS:cursing: The whole lot of them should be taught a lesson...I take nothing a doctor tells me a face value....I defy any doctor to look his nose down on me and expect to roll over and take it as though they were the end all and be all of opinons.

:embaressed_smile:OOPS...didn't mean to go on a rant:embaressed_smile: I would defintly report it what are they gonna do take away your BAND??:thumbup:

Oh come on! Not all doctors are "dishonest, unethical, greedy, arrogant, and the biggest BS'ERS" I have been a nurse for 25 years and I can tell you I have dealt with VERY FEW dishonest or unethical doctors. Arrogant and full of BS I can agree with on more than half of them. But honestly.. most doctors I have worked with are great people, mainly family men, and they all worked too hard for their medical licenses to jepordize them by trying to make an extra buck or cheat the system. As far as "greedy" goes.. Do you know what the average "take home pay" for a general practioner in America is today? This is after they pay all their over head.. I recently read that is is $86,000!!! ( this is the average between general practioners all across the US from New York City to small town in Alabama.) Now.. Divide that by their hourly work and they don't make much. I once worked for an Internal Medicine doctor.. Here is an example of his daily schedule. At the hospital by 600am to round on his patients that are there, to the office and see patients from 8-5. Review patient charts, lab results, return calls from 5-7 pm. Go to hospital on lunch break for a comittee meeting, Go back to the hospital after work to discharge patients. Home by 900PM and but "on-call" all night and answer patient phone calls, calls form hospital etc. then do it again the next day.. I don't know why the heck they do it. They could surely make more money doing something else. Must suck to work 24 hours a day for your patients and then run into ungrateful people with crappy attitudes who don't trust a thing you say and think your arrogant, greedy, dishonest, unethical and full of BS and have complete distain for you.

By the way.. the original poster said it was a bill from the HOSPITAL not the DOCTOR. so the doctor is NOT trying to rip her off. Even though the hospital billed that much they will only get payed their contracted rate that the hospital and the insurance company agreed upon when the hospital became a contracted provider.

nurse kathy is the 6 months for atena consitetive?

yes it should be consecutive

Dr. David Kim-- Colleyville Texas--- $11,900 to $12,400(depending on hosptial chosen) Free Lap band adjustments under fluoro for 1 year. Bariatric Surgery ? Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas ? Dr. David Kim

Hi,

I do bariatirc insurance approvals for a living. Aetna will allow a 3 month multidisciplinary diet and nutrition program OR a 6 month physician supervised diet and nutrition program. However, some employers will require the 6 month diet as opposed to the 3 month program. You should check with them in January and see what your requirements are. Most often it is only the 3 month program. Good Luck!

Kathy

Dr. David Kim in Colleyville accepts patients from other physicians and from Mexico. You can check him out online at www.drdkim.net or call his office at 817-581-6100.

Dr. David Kim in Colleyville takes patients from other physicians as well as from Mexico. Be sure to get your operative report which shows what type of band you have and the notes that show how much saline you have in your band. Dr. Kim's website is www.drdkim.net

Kathy

Nurse Kathy, thanks for the info, it is really appreciated and now I know that I am on the right track. Do you know if there is a requirment to actually lose a specific amount of weight during this time or any weight?

K

Ideally the purpose of the 3 month progam is to "prepare you for surgery". That would include beginning an exercise routine and dropping some weight. That's what Aetna says the purpose for the 3 month program is. They call it a "Surgical Preparatory Regimen". However, I have never known anyone to be denied for not losing weight.

Kathy

Thank you so very much for all your help. I can't even imagine what a big help you are on this site.This is what I have scheduled for the nutrionist for Aetna requirements as of today.1st. September 302nd. October 283rd. November 254th December 30If I am correct we figured this is 91 days so I should be ok. Do you think this is ok. I am trying to hard to do everything right to avoid getting denied.

That looks good.. you shouldn't have any problems

Good Luck!

Kathy

I agree with care credit.. It is a medical credit card and can be used for anyone in your family, even a pet. I even knew a girl whose friend got the care credit card in her name and she used it for herself.

Hi All I have a question and I am waiting for my surgeons office to call me back but figured would see If I could get some answers here.I have Aetna QPOS and the band is covered when precertified so I am going through all the steps required.I had my first appointment with the diet/nutrition center on 9/30 and my second is today 10/28 and my third in on 11/25 - now yes these are 3 appointments one per month for three months, but it does not equal 90 days? Is that going to be a problem when they send in my paper work for the approval process?I am just not sure and want to make sure i am doing everything right? I assumed when I made the appointment it had to be three months back to back not really 90 days?I have my sleep apnea test this saturday night and my appointment with the cardiologist this Friday - then other then the last diet class in november I am done and will have all my requirements met?Anyone with any advise for me on this would be greatly appreciated.Thanks so much. I am still having trouble replying to posts - I can post but for some reason not able to always reply.

I do Bariatric surgery insurance approvals for a living. Aetna requires 90 days... an initial visit, then an appointment after 1 month, 2 months and 3 months. So it is actually 4 visits over 90 days.

Kathy

Yes that sounds right. Sometimes if I submit in the morning I get approval the same day. It will be quick for you!!

Hi,

I do Bariatric surgery insurance approvals for a living. I work in the DFW area. BCBS Fed DOES NOT require a 6 month diet. They don't require psych eval, or nutrition appt either. When I submit to BCBS I always have the same nurse call me back for clinical info. She only asks current height, weight and BMI and any co-morbid conditions. They won't give you an approval ahead of time for outpatient surgery so we always do our Lap Bands inpatient for BCBS Fed patients so we can get the pre approval done. If you can get in to see someone and get them to get you submitted quickly you should be approved in just a few days.

Good Luck!

Kathy