I refused to pay a program fee also. The office my primary referred me to charged a 4,500 program fee that included cooking classes. I chose Dr. Nien T. Nguyen at UC Irvine in
Orange. He partners with Dr. Kevin Reavis. I was banded on 1/12/11 and have had one fill. I am very happy with the surgeon and his office, staff, etc. The Hospital is 2 years old and very nice. Each appointment, I see the surgeon, the dietitian and the social worker. They cover all the bases without all the fees. They offer monthly support groups and presentations for free. Heres' the website: http://www.healthcare.uci.edu/bariatrics/index.asp