I too will be a self-pay but am still fighting to get my insurance to cover SOME of the $16,000 cost. There is an exclusion in my company's insurance policy for weight loss surgeries. According to what the docs state, a hospital stay is covered for ELECTIVE surgery so, I feel that if I am electing to have the lap-band surgery, shouldn't the hospital portion be covered?! I am still going through the pre-surgical testing portion of the surgery because my surgeon requires that and honestly.. that's fine with me. My PCP has been writing all of the necessary referrals for me so the insurance will cover those tests. What I don't understand at all is.. why would my insurance co pay for the consult with the surgeon but have an exclusion for weight loss surgery, (my surgeon is the head of the bariatric surgery center and this is all he does)???
Over, I want to thank you for making me laugh and introducing me to a new word "crapulate". Also, you gave me some VERY good information.
Another point to make and question.. does anyone know about the tax breaks for surgery and how exactly that works? I keep on hearing something about 7.5% of your income but I don't know anything about taxes.
