DK40 0 Posted April 10, 2019 Hello! I am new to the forum and have just started my gastric sleeve journey. My insurance covers the surgery but requires a 6 month period of weight loss consultation with a healthcare provider along with a list of other prerequisites. I am considering the option of private pay (private financing) instead of waiting 6 months for insurance approval. Curious if anyone else chose to not file with insurance? Pros/cons. Looking for advice. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Briswife15 890 Posted April 10, 2019 Hi, and welcome. I used insurance and waited the 6 months. It goes by quickly believe it or not. I couldn't afford the thousands of dollars my surgeon charges to do it on my own. Also, if you go through all the prerequisites you know that you're fit for surgery, and I believe that makes surgery safer. Best of luck whatever you choose. Sent from my SM-N960U using BariatricPal mobile app 1 catwoman7 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KCgirl061 1,533 Posted April 10, 2019 Like Briswife, I felt like the 6 month wait wasn't that bad. I spent a lot of time on this forum and many others absorbing what people's experiences are like and understanding the struggles involved. It helped prepare me for what was to come. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
catwoman7 11,221 Posted April 10, 2019 (edited) I also used that six-month period to do a lot of research and really prep myself for the surgery and post-op life. It also allowed me time to gradually adapt to my new way of eating - I think it would have been much harder if the change had been immediate and drastic. Those six months flew by. If I had to do it again, I would have done it the same way. Edited April 10, 2019 by catwoman7 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thatch 377 Posted April 10, 2019 I wish I had had the option of waiting 6 months and filing with my insurance! My insurance didn't cover it so I went the private pay route and paid $12,000. Think of what you could do with that money instead! 1 Frustr8 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VeeAurora 54 Posted April 10, 2019 Like others here have said, I think the six month wait is useful in many ways. I have to do a 6 week pre op diet, so the “wait” was basically just 4,5 months. I personally spent that time getting ahead with school and work, doing lots of research and saving up for the time off I’ll need post op. That being said, if I had that money to spend, at the time I probably would have payed out of pocket cause I’m impatient😂 1 Frustr8 reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
