SELF PAYERS...please give me your insight

[Mrs_O 118]

12,000 is a really good price. I am having mine in New Orleans Dec 29th for 13,700. I love LaurasVSGtube also and am constantly looking for her updates.

Hi! i am also starting this process and am self pay. I am in Alabama and mine will cost me apron $12,000 out of pocket but that covers everything and includes complication insurance. My surgeon will be Dr Lee Schmitt at Alabama Weight Loss Surgery in Birmingham AL. I am financing my cost. upon looking into the process there was a link given to me by the doc for Prosper Healthcare Lending and it looks like it will cost me somewhere around $250 a month in payments. small price to pay to get my life back!!!

I did not personally consider Mexico because while my husband is supportive, i am very close with my mother and she is already having a hard time with this idea and i think the idea of Mexico, while safe, would push her over the edge! check out LaurasVSGtube on youtube. i love her videos and she gives the info of her doc in TJ Mexico!

what really made me choose this doc other than it is somewhat close to me and i need to stay close for my kids, is that the $12k also included complication insurance. it took a few months to even get my mom to where she would discuss me having the procedure and i think this made her feel better as well!

[OKCPirate 5,323]

@@SHANA55 - How successful you will be with self pay in Mexico would depend on several factors:

• Are you able to do your own research esp. on nutrician?
• Quality of the surgeon and facility. There was a fly-by-night shady operation in TJ for a while. Do your research. But note the facility I went to had a lower rate of infection than most in the US. When you go there you see why...big private rooms, not cluttered with all the stuff we cram in US hospital rooms (that they never sterilize) and they mop three to four times a day.
• How many risk factors do you have? (Substance abuse, heart et al).
• Odd note...How much emotional support do you have? There will be many freak out moments for no good reason.
• Have you dealt with the emotional issues which brought you to this place? Therapy recommended, but this book should be mandantory...http://www.amazon.com/Emotional-First-Aid-Kit-Practical/dp/0976852659/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1436729032&sr=8-13&keywords=bariatric+book

I did follow my own advise and it was easy and worth the $4000. Completely changed my life for the good.

Edited December 18, 2015 by OKCPirate

[DDN 58]

@@Blue1213 -- Good morning! I am waiting to discuss the results of my UGI with my surgeon...he's been very busy performing surgeries before year-end, but he is working with his coordinator to fit me in ASAP because I am a self-pay. Question, did your surgeon or PCP work with the insurance company to pay for your hospital stay and anesthesiologist? My GERD has been really bad for 10+ years and I wouldn't be surprised if I have a hernia. Both my PCP and Bariactric Surgeon work together and I would like to discuss this with them both if it turns out that I have a hernia.

I appreciate any info you an provide.

Thanks,

Derrick

[Dub 9,922]

What doctor did you go to? Where? How much did it cost you? Can I do a down payment and payments? I'm considering Mexico, trying to find out all my option!

All I know is that I am getting sleeved by any means necessary

I'd paid off my vehicles a couple years ago and was saving funds for a new ride.

I'd always planned on doing Atkins diet + hardcore gym work and lose weight......injuries and health issues showed up bigtime this year and had me locked down by April of this year.

I entered into a bariatric center and began the program....it was the standard 6 month plan with surgery short after it ended.

An angel with my program sat me down two months into it and went over self pay options for me.

That "new car money" was spent on my sleeve and the surgery happened less than three weeks later.

I went with the same surgeon that I'd have waited for. He is a freaking genius and I have nothing but high praise for him and his work.

I never considered Mexico. I've always hated flying.....and I was having an abdominal hernia repair done the same time as my sleeve and there was no way in hell that I was going to attempt airports and such.

[sleevedup 46]

I went to Dr. Guillermo Alvarez in Piedra Negras, Mexico. He is really, truly, amazing.

First, I did not chose Dr. Alvarez based solely on price. I actually had 4 consultations (one from a high profile doc in Los Angeles; another higher profile doc in SF; one in Texas since I wanted a single incision-and another in Mexico who also does single incision). Now, I am no Paris Hilton, but this is my health and I had the funds if necessary. One of the docs wanted 25,000 and frankly (this is the L.A. one) was kinda of rude to me at the consultation making a disparaging comment on my BMI..not cool.

I researched the hell out of doctors, talked to several ppl in our community, and really dug deep. I finally came to a firm decision of the doc in SF, who is extremely reputable. His cost was 17,000..I was ready to cash pay, and just like that he himself had some kind of accident and was no longer performing surgery. I like this doc so much, I waited 6 months, be to no avail. He had another doc doing surgery for him as he supervised. That didn't jive.

I strongly considered a doc in Texas who is also very reputable, but I kept on researching reading and reading. I was reluctant to go to Mexico even though I know healthcare in other part of our world are also very solid. The more I read, the more I opened my mind, the more I saw that Dr. Alvarez was the best choice for me. He has done over 9,000 sleeves, only does sleeves, and has his technique DOWN down pat. He even did a VSG live, explaining the whole process with a cam internally placed. Honestly, out of all the surgeons I researched, he (and that doc in SF, who unfortunately is no longer available) were the best docs.

I paid 8500...that did not include my flight but did include 2 hotel nights and the full cost of everything else hospital wise. Susan, his coordinator is AMAZING and ON IT. He is amazing, the staff is great, and everything was coordinated perfectly to a t. His Skype session is free (I paid 250 for a consult in L.A. only to feel rushed and like I was apart of an obesity mill). The part of Mexico you are in is exceptionally clean and safe, very low key. I am 6 days post op and feel good:)

If you wanna talk over the phone, hit me up on a pm, I am more than happy to pay it forward as so many ppl have for me on this board. I spoke to so many people who were so kind and informative, let me know if I can be of service to you. Your journey will be brilliant:D

[shriner37 249]

I went to a local surgery center that is a Bariatric Center of Excellence, and is affiliated with one of the largest local hospitals. Cost was $12,000 for a self-pay package. Since my insurance also excludes any complications from WLS I also spent another $1,400 for BLIS complication coverage. In addition the EGD was around $1,000 so the total cost to me was a little north of $14,000.

My surgeon doesn't offer payment plans but refers patients to Prosper funding. This was an interesting model that I hadn't been familiar with before. Basically it is crowd lending. You fill out your personal profile, state the amount you need and then investors buy small (or large) chunks of your loan in the marketplace. It took a few days for my loan offering to fully fund but the interest rate was decent, way less than a credit card, and it was a pretty simple process. They transferred the money to my checking account in a few days.

Then I used an affinity Visa card to actually pay the surgeon and hospital and racked up a good amount of airline miles to help pay for a vacation trip to Celebrate my weight loss!

[ezbeinggreen 50]

I am also self-pay because my health insurance doesn't cover WLS. I am from CT and cost of self-pay there was outrageous (they want $25 - 30K - $17K was hospital fees). I looked both in the states and Mexico. There are a bunch of docs in the 10 - 15K range. Mexico was $5 - 8K depending on the plan. I compromised and got my sleeve on 12/7 in Boca Raton, FL with Dr. Kahlil Shillingford for $10,500. My parents live about 30 minutes away so it was easy for me to stay with them during recovery and a go back for routine visits. That price is all-inclusive - hospital stay, labs, all office visits for 1 year, etc. I opened a CareCredit account but found out later the "low" interest plan was 14.5%. So instead I shopped around for another credit card - found a Visa card with a $10K limit and qualified for 0% interest for 15 months. The other dr I considered was Dr Paul Wizman - his VSG is $11K and he offers BLIS for another $1500.

[SHANA55 11]

I went to a local surgery center that is a Bariatric Center of Excellence, and is affiliated with one of the largest local hospitals. Cost was $12,000 for a self-pay package. Since my insurance also excludes any complications from WLS I also spent another $1,400 for BLIS complication coverage. In addition the EGD was around $1,000 so the total cost to me was a little north of $14,000.

My surgeon doesn't offer payment plans but refers patients to Prosper funding. This was an interesting model that I hadn't been familiar with before. Basically it is crowd lending. You fill out your personal profile, state the amount you need and then investors buy small (or large) chunks of your loan in the marketplace. It took a few days for my loan offering to fully fund but the interest rate was decent, way less than a credit card, and it was a pretty simple process. They transferred the money to my checking account in a few days.

Then I used an affinity Visa card to actually pay the surgeon and hospital and racked up a good amount of airline miles to help pay for a vacation trip to Celebrate my weight loss!

Wow, thank you so much for this information!

Sent from my SM-G530T1 using Tapatalk

[KendyLou 15]

I did self pay- in the KC area. It was about $12,000, not including the EGD cost.

[ElizabethO 4]

I can't fathom the idea of going to Mexico for the surgery. This idea scares me so much. It sounds so fishy. My husband is totally against it. I am worried about post op and travel. By the time you pay for travel and hotel wouldn't you be about the same in money?

What websites should I visit to make me feel better about this idea.

[JamieLogical 8,708]

I can't fathom the idea of going to Mexico for the surgery. This idea scares me so much. It sounds so fishy. My husband is totally against it. I am worried about post op and travel. By the time you pay for travel and hotel wouldn't you be about the same in money?

What websites should I visit to make me feel better about this idea.

This website that you're on right now could probably make you feel a lot better if you read through posts in the Mexico & Self-Pay forums.

Hundreds and hundreds (maybe thousands?) of Bariatric Pal members have been to Mexico for surgery. Bariatric Pal is even affiliated with several surgeons in Mexico to offer special deals and packages to members. I didn't go through Bariatric Pal for my surgery, but I did read lots of posts here when researching and choosing a surgeon.

I've been to Mexico twice for surgery. Once for plastics, and once for my sleeve. Both were incredibly positive experiences. As long as you do your research and choose a reputable surgeon, you have nothing to fear. The level of care you can receive in Mexico is on par or better than what you would receive in the US. Certainly, when I went for my plastics, I had a much higher level of care than I could have possibly had in the US. I had 24/7 nursing care for two full weeks and daily visits from my surgeon. In the US, I would have been sent home one or two days post-op to fend for myself and maybe seen my surgeon once or twice in the two week period after.

For my sleeve, it was a much more minor surgery, so I was discharged back to my hotel the day after my surgery. A shuttle picked me up from my hotel and took me back to the clinic each of the next two days for follow up (barium swallow test, having my drain removed, etc.). And then I flew home on the 4th day post-op.

The area in Mexico where most of the Medical Tourism happens is a very high-class neighborhood with excellent accommodations and amenities. It's RIGHT across the border from San Diego (seriously a 10 minute drive if you don't count the traffic at the border crossing). It's pretty much exactly like being in the US. A McDonald's and Starbucks on every corner. The clinic where I had my plastics, I had a lovely view of an Office Max from my room....

I stayed in a recovery house with on-staff nurses when I had my plastics. It was a lovely house in a gated community. When I had my sleeve, I stayed at the Marriott, which was a very nice, clean, upscale hotel with amazingly friendly staff. They accommodate dozens of WLS patients daily, so they have things like chicken broth and Jello from room service free of charge.

As for pricing, it can definitely save you a LOT of money. The cheapest I've seen self-pay VSG in the US is around $12000. For my round-trip airfare, surgery, and hotel, I paid maybe a total of $7000? And I had my surgery with a world-renowned surgeon at a International Bariatric Center of Excellence. Remember, if you go with the cheapest option in the US, it's probably the cheapest option for a reason!

[psychprof 141]

I went to a local surgery center that is a Bariatric Center of Excellence, and is affiliated with one of the largest local hospitals. Cost was $12,000 for a self-pay package. Since my insurance also excludes any complications from WLS I also spent another $1,400 for BLIS complication coverage. In addition the EGD was around $1,000 so the total cost to me was a little north of $14,000.

My surgeon doesn't offer payment plans but refers patients to Prosper funding. This was an interesting model that I hadn't been familiar with before. Basically it is crowd lending. You fill out your personal profile, state the amount you need and then investors buy small (or large) chunks of your loan in the marketplace. It took a few days for my loan offering to fully fund but the interest rate was decent, way less than a credit card, and it was a pretty simple process. They transferred the money to my checking account in a few days.

Then I used an affinity Visa card to actually pay the surgeon and hospital and racked up a good amount of airline miles to help pay for a vacation trip to Celebrate my weight loss!

Wow, thank you so much for this information!

Sent from my SM-G530T1 using Tapatalk

@@Salinagetssleeved did you see this?

[ElizabethO 4]

Thank you Jamie. I will try to do more research.

[Salinagetssleeved 58]

I can't fathom the idea of going to Mexico for the surgery. This idea scares me so much. It sounds so fishy. My husband is totally against it. I am worried about post op and travel. By the time you pay for travel and hotel wouldn't you be about the same in money?

What websites should I visit to make me feel better about this idea.

This website that you're on right now could probably make you feel a lot better if you read through posts in the Mexico & Self-Pay forums.

Hundreds and hundreds (maybe thousands?) of Bariatric Pal members have been to Mexico for surgery. Bariatric Pal is even affiliated with several surgeons in Mexico to offer special deals and packages to members. I didn't go through Bariatric Pal for my surgery, but I did read lots of posts here when researching and choosing a surgeon.

I've been to Mexico twice for surgery. Once for plastics, and once for my sleeve. Both were incredibly positive experiences. As long as you do your research and choose a reputable surgeon, you have nothing to fear. The level of care you can receive in Mexico is on par or better than what you would receive in the US. Certainly, when I went for my plastics, I had a much higher level of care than I could have possibly had in the US. I had 24/7 nursing care for two full weeks and daily visits from my surgeon. In the US, I would have been sent home one or two days post-op to fend for myself and maybe seen my surgeon once or twice in the two week period after.

For my sleeve, it was a much more minor surgery, so I was discharged back to my hotel the day after my surgery. A shuttle picked me up from my hotel and took me back to the clinic each of the next two days for follow up (barium swallow test, having my drain removed, etc.). And then I flew home on the 4th day post-op.

The area in Mexico where most of the Medical Tourism happens is a very high-class neighborhood with excellent accommodations and amenities. It's RIGHT across the border from San Diego (seriously a 10 minute drive if you don't count the traffic at the border crossing). It's pretty much exactly like being in the US. A McDonald's and Starbucks on every corner. The clinic where I had my plastics, I had a lovely view of an Office Max from my room....

I stayed in a recovery house with on-staff nurses when I had my plastics. It was a lovely house in a gated community. When I had my sleeve, I stayed at the Marriott, which was a very nice, clean, upscale hotel with amazingly friendly staff. They accommodate dozens of WLS patients daily, so they have things like chicken broth and Jello from room service free of charge.

As for pricing, it can definitely save you a LOT of money. The cheapest I've seen self-pay VSG in the US is around $12000. For my round-trip airfare, surgery, and hotel, I paid maybe a total of $7000? And I had my surgery with a world-renowned surgeon at a International Bariatric Center of Excellence. Remember, if you go with the cheapest option in the US, it's probably the cheapest option for a reason!

do you mind me asking who you saw?

[ready2bmenow 5]

I paid $3500 plus preop testing ($500 for stress test and $120 for EGD, and blood work, not sure how much Insurance is paying on that yet) I have good insurance BUT my with my BMI I had to have two comorbidities for it to pay and I don't. So I went to a doctor is Dallas that was $10000 cash pay and $1000 off plastic surgery in the future. He also performs an EGD as part of pre op and if you have a hiatal hernia then usually insurance will cover that procedure and you just have to pay the additional for the sleeve which was $3500. I have never been so thankful to have a hernia, lol!!