Hidden Costs?

[NewStart95987 35]

After paying my surgeon her $3,000 non-professional fee, the surgical center $2,800 which is the 20% my insurance won't cover, I receive a letter in the mail the other day. I'm getting banded in 8 days mind you and have been trying for over a year to get my band.

The letter is from the surgical center telling me that the anesthesia is NOT part of the $2,800 I already paid and would be billed separately. I finally worked up the courage to call the insurance to see what portion is covered, then called surgical center today who referred me to the anesthesiologists office, who had me call my surgeon for the code, to call the anesthesiologist again. My part, IF I am out for an hour, no longer will be $300 which is my 20% that I will owe since the bill comes out to $1,500.

The kicker! I have two insurances and though my secondary is better on everything else, they will not come within a 100 mine radius of anything regarding WLS. So I am stuck with yet another bill that I cannot afford.

I am already freaking out about how I'm going to pay bills in upcoming months. I have a commission job and if I don't hit within 75% of whatever my goal is set to, I make NO commission. Yet, here comes this extra little surprise. This isn't the first time I have been blind-sided. I just assumed it was part of what I paid. I don't have surgery every year and am no accustom the the standards on surgery.

It's just really frustrating when no one has mentioned things to me or I ask questions and they tell me not to worry at the time. Are they afraid if they are up front with you that you'll back out? I have 2 insurances and am already paying out of pocket over $6,000 for this. $6,000 I had to use credit and a loan for.

Anyone else feel like they have been jerked around?

[bellaloco 13]

It is unfortunate that your clinic did not communicate everything to you up front When I went to the initial seminar at my clinic, they broke everything down and let us know that everything would be billed separately. I used to work for a health insurance company, and currently still work in healthcare, so I know my way around, and I am able to speak on their level. I did have one little surprise though...the day before my surgery, the hospital called to confirm my deposit-which I had previously been told would be $2600. When they called the day before the surgery, they wanted $4500. I let them have a piece of my mind...telling them that my medical out of pocket maximum is only $3000, but that I would only be paying the $2600 that was originally discussed and I would be waiting until after the insurance processes my claims to make any additional payments to them. I ended up having to be reimbursed by the hospital because I overpaid them...that was a huge hassle!

[jennifer1 180]

i was a self pay and the day before surgery my surgeons office called and told me that my balance of $$11,500 was due day of surgery..ok i knew that, so i say i'm going to put it on the credit card i used for my pre-op testing. she tells me it has to be cash or a cashiers check. no credit cards!!!!!!!!!!! WTH!!! nobody ever mentioned that before. so spent the day before my surgery tryn to figure out how to get the cash off the credit card in less than 24 hours! i was told only the surgeons portion had to be cash or check and the rest could be credit card. ok i got the cashiers check and put the rest on the credit card

the day of surgery when i hand her my cc. she said there's a 3% charge for using a cc!!! WTH!!! again noone said that crap yesteday!!!!!! so another $250! i was soooo pissed, but what could i do i was going into surgery in like 30 minutes!!!!!

oh they havent heard the last from me about this!!!!! so frustrating!!

[NewStart95987 35]

the day of surgery when i hand her my cc. she said there's a 3% charge for using a cc!!! WTH!!! again noone said that crap yesteday!!!!!! so another $250! i was soooo pissed, but what could i do i was going into surgery in like 30 minutes!!!!!

oh they havent heard the last from me about this!!!!! so frustrating!!

Ow my gosh, I am soooo sorry. Why do they have to be so secretive? It's ridiculous! I think we should write a book about the ACTUAL procedures, our experiences and include helpful tips and questions to ask prior. lol

[Phranp 46]

This is a really good post because people that are in the early stages will know what to look for when they decide to get lapband. What they should also know is that not all doctors have a non professional fee and if you choose the "right" surgeon (or maybe it's the hospital) you don'thave to pay the anesthesiologist separately. I remember, after having problems finding a surgeon/surgical center/hospital that would accept BCBS (BBCBS doesn't pay them much so they will refuse to do the surgery - even if they have a contract with BCBS) I was being super careful so I didn't find myself with hidden costs. I called the benefits dept at my job to ask about the anesthesiologist, telling them that is was ridiculous for the insurance to ok the surgery and put the responsibility on me to make sure the anesthesiologist was "in-network" - I was HOT! My benefits dept. said they would call me right back. They did. They said "don't worry about a thing your anesthisia is all inclusive". I did not pay a penny for my surgery. We have to be so careful about which practice we choose, some offices will gouge us given the chance.

Thanks again for this thread.I am sorry you had to go through this but the info you are sharing is invaluable to people starting out.

All the best to you on your journey.

~Fran

[latrice35 2]

Wow thats a lot of money out of pocket. I only had to pay 1500 which was for the hospital and that was billed to me. Thank GOD

[NewStart95987 35]

This is a really good post because people that are in the early stages will know what to look for when they decide to get lapband.

Thanks again for this thread.I am sorry you had to go through this but the info you are sharing is invaluable to people starting out.

All the best to you on your journey.

~Fran

Thank you Fran! It's unbelievable to me! I asked so many questions because I like to be prepared as best I can. I have spoken to my surgeons office several times and they never mentioned certain things, as the surgical center sends me a surprise letter less than 2 weeks before surgery. They will be billing me for my anesthesia and anything over the norm which is the 20% I pay. I have Anthem BC and they have been as helpful as possible on their part.

I just think that maybe my surgeons office could have given me a heads up, something along "Hey, be prepared or check into XYZ." But nothing was said. They have been through this hundreds of times and I just find it frustrating. People need to know to prepare financially. It's not good for their mental/emotional health to get so close and the keep having the rug pulled out from under them. I do hope future banders ask more questions and ask several times! Something I learned, get as much as you can in writing!!!!!

Thanks again for the wishes Fran. Have a great day