How are you paying for your surgery?

[carolel 0]

Hi all,

Thought I'd start a new thread to see how those of us who had to self-pay financed our surgeries. We took out a second mortgage with payments of $350. per month.

Me... I teach school and our ins. refused to pay. I also tutor afterschool for 2 hours per day. I've always baked cakes and sweets for friends.

Well, soon after my surgery, people began asking me to bake a cake here and there and asked how much I'd charge. I told them I couldn't charge since I don't have a license to sell baked goods but they could make a donation to recent medical bills we'd accumulated. (They have no idea it was for lapband surgery. Only my DH knows about the surgery.)

Well...long story short through Thanksgiving and Christmas, my profits from donations were in the neighborhood of $900.!!!! Now the orders are pouring in already again for Valentine's Day and birthdays. I have to bake 7 cakes this Friday!!

It's so funny ...my DH and I laugh about it....my WLS is getting paid for with cakes and cookies!!

So how are you paying ?

[marjon9 6]

I also have a dull story. We refinanced and took a little extra for the surgery. Also used the Christmas bonus from work. All in all not too painful. Found a doctor in Colorado, Dr. Kirshenbaum, who does the surgery for $9950. I figure I'll be able to cover the cost for this in a couple years just from lower grocery bills, not to mention lower doctor bills.

And if that doesn't work I can try baking some cakes.

[Nathalie 4]

And if that doesn't work I can try baking some cakes.

LOL... I like you marjon9!

N.

[bitteroldhag 0]

I wish I could bake such great cakes. I have a line of credit based on equity in my house and I used that. I pay $350 a month on it and it will take years to pay it off, but the 35 pounds I've lost so far are worth it. I just hope I lose some more someday.

[Cricket 1]

We were refinancing and were able to take out more to cover the WLS. I had mine 5 days ago at NWWLS in Everett, WA. I had Dr. Kevin Montgomery, who is awesome! It cost $17,000.

I'm really jazzed that it worked out! :clap2:

[enterprise01 0]

I'm also a self-pay.

Last year I spent over $6,000 in vet bills for 2 sick cats. One died and one is still sick (terminal with renal failure). I'm spending $600 a month just to keep this 16 year old cat comfortable in his final days, and he could conceivably live many more months thanks to the very expensive medication. When I thought about how much I was willing to spend to help my cats and give them a good life, I realized that it was ridiculous not to spend that kind of money to help myself. I have money in savings for a new car (mine is 14 years old), and I'm going to use that for the surgery. With any luck, I can have the surgery by the end of the month and then I can start working to replenish the car fund. Between the sick cat and the cost of surgery, things are going to be tight for the next year or two. But both the cat and I are worth a little financial hardship.

By the way, my insurance company turned me down, and because the insurance company is a client of my employer, I cannot appeal. It was made clear to me that it could cost me my job.

P.S. Please, no negative comments from non-animal lovers about spending so much money on my cats. I get enough of that from well meaning co-workers. Thanks.

[carolel 0]

bitteroldhag, sounds like we have the same payment plan. it will take years but like you, I feel it's already been worth the $. I feel great! And I have the energy to bake those cakes.I stayed up around the clock the week before Christmas..catching little 20 minute catnaps for 3 days. No way could I have done this before losing this 46 pounds. The nice thing too is that I have absolutely no desire to cheat while I'm cooking all these sweets. not even a taste.

Margon9, I wish I had known about your doc. I could have saved about 6K. Does he do free fills? Mine does for a year.

And enterprise01..I applaud you for taking care of three of Gods' creatures. Your cats and YOURSELF!!! I'm glad that you have that heart. So many would just put the cat down and be free of it.And you deserve this surgery. We all do. No-one wants to be overweight and we deserve to feel good.

I had a NSV this morning. I bought some boots the week before Christmas and they wouldn't zip all the way up. This morning they did!!! yeah!!! I've wanted to wear nice boots for years!!!

[skyeblu79 0]

I moved back home w/my parents after my lease was up. I figured I could save enough $$ during a year to pay for the surgery. That didn't really work out b/c other exspense came up. So, I decided to borrow extra $$ from my student loans.

[TracyinKS 7]

Well... the cash pay for my doc is 16.5K, I am having insurance pay as much as they will........ BUT I took our cheaper premium CDHP plan, meaning that I could possibly end up paying the entire ANNUAL OUT OF POCKET MAX, which is around $3800.... I took a chance and put all of this into a Flex Spending Account (pretax) out of my paycheck..... I figure my checks will be somewhat smaller BUT it will be paid for.... and our FSA accounts came with a Visa prepaid debit card that I've already swiped at my surgeons office.......... if for some unforseen reason this flops... everyone on my christmas list next year will be getting gift baskets with OTC meds and heating pads!!!!!!!!! LOL

I will say that I've seen some great ideas for financing.... 401K loans, HELOCS, Refinance, or 2nd's... credit card with zero interest, and all the medical financing places...

[carolel 0]

Hi Tracy,

It sounds like you did your research on financing. Good luck with your surgery. It's been worth every penny I've spent for me. I feel great!

[Carlene 12]

I'm also a self-pay.

Last year I spent over $6,000 in vet bills for 2 sick cats. One died and one is still sick (terminal with renal failure). I'm spending $600 a month just to keep this 16 year old cat comfortable in his final days, and he could conceivably live many more months thanks to the very expensive medication. When I thought about how much I was willing to spend to help my cats and give them a good life, I realized that it was ridiculous not to spend that kind of money to help myself. I have money in savings for a new car (mine is 14 years old), and I'm going to use that for the surgery. With any luck, I can have the surgery by the end of the month and then I can start working to replenish the car fund. Between the sick cat and the cost of surgery, things are going to be tight for the next year or two. But both the cat and I are worth a little financial hardship.

By the way, my insurance company turned me down, and because the insurance company is a client of my employer, I cannot appeal. It was made clear to me that it could cost me my job.

P.S. Please, no negative comments from non-animal lovers about spending so much money on my cats. I get enough of that from well meaning co-workers. Thanks.

I am the same way about my animals. Pay no attention to your co-workers. Those furry children deserve good care, too - just like the non-furry kind.

[enterprise01 0]

I am the same way about my animals. Pay no attention to your co-workers. Those furry children deserve good care, too - just like the non-furry kind.

Thanks, Carlene. Glad to hear you're an animal person, too. Many people just don't understand that to animal lovers, giving your pets the best possible care is a moral obligation. I've got to do the best I can for them or I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Besides, I've gotten a lot of love for that $6,000 -- that makes it all worthwhile.

[Kat817 19]

I had qualified for my insurance to cover my surgery in all but the 12 months of medically supervised weight loss program, with a bi monthly meeting with a nutritionist. I fought the nutritionist part, because I live in a rural area, where one was not available---I won that, they let my Dr. counsel me! Then 10 1/2 months into the 12--I was in a car accident-not my fault- and required surgery to repair my knee that was crunched. Once I was up and around I went back to the Dr. to get going again, only to be told I had to start over, it had to be 12 consecutive months!!! I appealed and lost---and rather than appeal again, I used my settlement from the accident, and paid for it myself---well worth every cent!!! Absolutely the only regret is that the insurance company should have had to pay it---it still irritates me!!! But it is almost 9 months out, and I am down 80 pounds, and not still waiting to get started!!!

So llewis---why not license yourself---and expand---it sounds like you have the talent, and the clientelle already in place!!

Kat

[Carlene 12]

Thanks, Carlene. Glad to hear you're an animal person, too. Many people just don't understand that to animal lovers, giving your pets the best possible care is a moral obligation. I've got to do the best I can for them or I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Besides, I've gotten a lot of love for that $6,000 -- that makes it all worthwhile.

My DH once took our son's much-loved little mixed breed to the vet and came back without her. My heart almost jumped out of my chest. "Where is Missy?" I whispered.

"They kept her in doggy ICU," he said.

"How much is that going to cost?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said, "I figured I didn't have any choice, so I didn't even ask."

Gotta love a man like that!

I wish I had a kitty, but my DH is allergic. This is Lucy. Her groomer calls her "five pounds of trouble".

[beachgirl 2]

I used cash we had in savings. So far with surgery in Mexico and fills it's been about 14,000.00, and a wonderful investment.