Surgery in Mexico

[snowbird 2]

Darn right that's what I'm telling you. I had to pay the surgeon, but my insurance reimbursed me $7200 out of the $8000 cost of surgery. My husband was banded the same day, and his insurance paid $7900 out of the $8000. I submitted a claim for "overseas medical treatment" and BCBS reimbursed us both.

Considering I have a somewhat lengthy history on this board and have met with a number of other bandsters in person, I think it's laughable that you with your seven posts want to accuse me of being a coyote. I think you need to check out your facts before making statements you know nothing about.

[MacMadame 81]

I've dealt with Insurance Companies here enough to know that each Insurance Company has thier list of approved Doctors AND there ain't none of them in Mexico !!!

CAN YOU HEAR ME ?????

BCBS will pay for lap band surgery done in Mexico.

My insurance company is Aetna and on their "Find a Doc" site, there is a special drop-down for Mexican doctors in the Vitalidad HMO plan.

So... I think you are misinformed.

P.S. It's "you're telling me", not "your telling me".

[cosmos110 0]

I've got Cigna, and yes they won't even consider it.

Would you mind me asking what is your insurance company w/ph#. I'll call them and apologize muy pronto amigo.

[cosmos110 0]

I tried Aetna. looks like you have to be a member to get details. I carried Blue Cross Blue Shield for 4 years. They would not even consider a lap band for my policy. I tried to get dental done in Mexico, they wouldn't even discuss it.

Should I assume that you have a company that buys you such a special plan that people like me can't even imagine it.

I guess my little insurance plan is just not worthy. I'm not special enough. It's just funny that I get such a different story from my insurance company than yours.

If your sincere then I apologize.

How come I never heard of this special policy?

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Here we go. Dear Snowbird. Your telling me that your insurance company here in the U.S. approved your lapband and then you went to Mexico and Your U.S. Insurance company paid a Mexican Doctor to Band You? I hope thats not what your telling me !!!

As I read these blogs I know full well that a lot of postings are from Mexican Cayotes. All readers need to be aware of that. Anyone who doubts it need only pick up thier phone, call any insurance company in the U.S and they'll laugh you right off your chair.

I've dealt with Insurance Companies here enough to know that each Insurance Company has thier list of approved Doctors AND there ain't none of them in MEXICO !!!

CAN YOU HEAR ME ?????

Dude, can you hear me? I haven't even read her reply and I don't need to. I know Snowbird in real time and what she wrote is the truth. I am in a similar boat, my insurance covers banding and I went to Dr. Aceves. I preferred self pay for the doctor of my choice vs. insurance sending me to the crappy doctors on their list.

Some insurance companies most certainly DO pay Mexican doctors for their services. Since you are such an expert you might want to do a little research so you know what you are talking about. Research CA insurance co's paying Mexican doctors in Mexico to provide care for their insureds.

Look, if you want to be anti-Mexico because you had a bad experience when 99% of the folks here that had surgery in Mexico had a great experience... that's fine. But please don't assume everyone who disagrees with your POV is wrong and you are the only correct poster posting.

Edited April 14, 2008 by WASaBubbleButt

[cosmos110 0]

This is to SROSSELL. If you go to mexico and everthing goes without a hitch, then I'm glad for you. But listen to the few of us who had problems.

My Doctor ( Arturo Rodriguez ) was concerned about me but only if it didn't dig into his pocket book. I'm certain he would have let me die if it had been a matter of whose paying. Thats not unusual because the country of his birth and raising has a lot of people who die for a lack of money. I worked in Mexico for 4 years. Thats how it is there.

You've only got this one chance to mack a safe choice. Once they get thier hands on your money then it's a matter of luck.

[snowbird 2]

My insurance was federal employees' Blue Cross Blue Shield. Website is fepblue.org. I had my check within six weeks of submitting the paperwork.

[MacMadame 81]

I carried Blue Cross Blue Shield for 4 years. They would not even consider a lap band for my policy. I tried to get dental done in Mexico, they wouldn't even discuss it.

If WLS surgery is excluded for your particular policy, of course they aren't going to turn around and pay to have it in Mexico. They don't pay for it period, it's excluded.

How come I never heard of this special policy?

Beats me, but it's not a particularly special policy. I've been reading articles about people who got it done in Mexico and BCBS paid for it before I even 'met' snowbird here at LBT.com. It's not a big secret if anyone can read an article in the paper about it.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

This is to SROSSELL. If you go to Mexico and everthing goes without a hitch, then I'm glad for you. But listen to the few of us who had problems.

(emphasis my own)

You just made our point beautifully but I don't think you realized it.

There are good doctors and bad doctors in every country including the US. There are people in the US that have had bad things happen and they died. Would you say that is worse than what you experienced? Of course it is, but the point is that bad things happen everywhere. A handful of people have had a bad experience in Mexico, the greater majority have had great experiences.

You have bad feelings about Mexico due to a single experience. Considering you "worked" there for four years you would'a thought you'd learn a thing or two and not go there for surgery if it is so horrific. But no, you, being an experienced person when it comes to Mexico, went there for surgery.

I realize you had a bad experience but you know, erosion isn't necessarily the fault of the doc, sometimes stuff happens and that's life. If I went to a US surgeon and eroded, he would charge me to remove the band too.

Not every Mexican surgeon is a horror. My doc did a bypass on a patient and less than 24 hours after the surgery his wife decided to sneak him Mickey D's burgers. The guy blew out his staple line and needed emergency surgery. My doc did it and didn't charge him a dime for all the additional expenses. Of course, they went on line and told everyone about the blown staple line, they just failed to mention it was from eating burgers while in the hospital recovering from bypass and they were never charged any extra money for their own stupidity. Do you suppose they would have been charged in the US? I'll bet you a dollar they would have.

There are good and decent doctors in Mexico. To listen to you, you make it sound like they are all greedy idiots because they are in Mexico. You know what that makes you, right?

Cheers.

[isabelle290 0]

Cosmos,

I disagree with you about Dr. Arturo Rodriguez letting you die. If that were to happen, his reputation would be ruined and no one would go back to him. I thought he was a very good doctor and NO I am not a patient coordinator trying to get him patients. I support ANY good doctor in Mexico. I think the doctors in the US are money hungry. I feel in Mexico, the doctors are giving people a chance to have a band that they wouldn't have otherwise. People in the states also have things go wrong with their bands and they have to pay to get them resolved, so it can happen anywhere. My life was changed by my band and I would go back to Monterrey in a heartbeat. I have had three children and the hospital in Mexico where I had my surgery was WAY better than any hospital in the states. I also have met hundreds of people at the reunions Dr. Rod has that he has successfully helped get their lives back. If Dr. Rod only cared about money, why does he take the time to have reunions?

[cosmos110 0]

Hello, I'm Cosmos's Paranormal Medium.

I'm replying to you because Cosmos just dropped dead from complications of his Mexican Lapband. Poor Cos just talked to me on the ouija board. He told me to keep the message alive that you have no recourse from Mexican Medical Complications. Thats why it's cheaper down South of the border.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Hello, I'm Cosmos's Paranormal Medium.

I'm replying to you because Cosmos just dropped dead from complications of his Mexican Lap Band. Poor Cos just talked to me on the ouija board. He told me to keep the message alive that you have no recourse from Mexican Medical Complications. Thats why it's cheaper down South of the border.

Does that mean he's taking his newly created ID for the purpose of slam dunking Mexico with him?

[NicoleW8ing 0]

I can't resist replying to this thread.

As in most really good arguments, the correct answer seems to be a compromise between both sides.

I think, first and foremost, a Mexican doctor is not an option for those that do not plan for the follow up. Two months after your surgery, if you find out you have to drive four hours to get an adjustment and you simply do not have the funds to go back to Mexico... well, to be blunt, you done messed up. Investigate where you will get your follow up care before surgery and don't cry about Doctors not filling you or being stuck with no aftercare. MAKE A PLAN, CALL AROUND, THINK AHEAD.

I hate the American health care system. HATE IT. However, I was born here, raised here, and will make due with what I have. Because of certain sue-happy individuals, Doctors pay an ASTRONOMICAL fee in malpractice insurance. My uncle has his own practice out of Pennsylvania and has never had a malpractice suit against him. His malpractice insurance runs about 18K per month. He's a GP, not a surgeon. This coupled with inflation and the overpriced hospital fees makes one expensive lap band surgery. Not to say an American doctor is desolate by any means, but they do not get even close to the whole 20K.

Now, let's acknowledge the stereotype. Everything is cheaper in Mexico. Tiajuanan medical horror stories are rampant. This may or may not be the truth, and frankly, it doesn't matter. If the individual chooses and PLANS to have surgery by a REPUTABLE MEXICAN DOCTOR, more power to them. The error seems to be in the poor planning and hasteful decision making.

Personally, I would never have surgery out of the country, purely because it took me two doctors and several years of background checking to choose a Doctor. My parents work in health care. I want to be near them and their familiar territory. I'm an anal person and I like to see my Doctor a lot. I complain about the 20 minute drive to my Doctor's office. I'm a worry freak. If something happens to my band, I want the Doctor that put it there to be responsible for it. Point being, surgery out of the country is not an option for me.

Does this mean that all these people that had surgery in Mexico are liars? Or all fools that don't know what they're talking about? HELL, NO!!!! It was the RIGHT option for them and the CLEAREST path to a healthy lifestyle. Everyone is different. For such a DRAMATIC surgery, the individual has to weigh out their emotional needs.

Evaluate these things. Evaluate your comfort levels. There is no RIGHT answer that anyone could give you. The RIGHT answer can only be found in your heart, mind, and wallet.

[cosmos110 0]

Good Observation.

I am being slammed for my newbie status. But I can't resist the opportunity to warn people who are looking for some input. I didn't research my decision for 2 years like you did. I simply couldn't find much input for Mexican surgeons.

You'll notice that Sroussell started this when she stated "I feel so lost". I know what she is talking about.

I feel that I am a case in point, Nobody wants to be me !!!

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Good Observation.

I am being slammed for my newbie status. But I can't resist the opportunity to warn people who are looking for some input. I didn't research my decision for 2 years like you did. I simply couldn't find much input for Mexican surgeons.

You'll notice that Sroussell started this when she stated "I feel so lost". I know what she is talking about.

I feel that I am a case in point, Nobody wants to be me !!!

People might take you more seriously if you were a little more balanced in your whining.

Seriously, you complain about Dr. Rodriguez and the very next post you are talking about what a great guy he is and how much you like him.

Then you insist you are right and insurance does not pay for surgery in Mexico and when others chime in and explain to you that you are in error, you insist we are all coyotes <--See how that is spelled?).

Then you tell us that you lived in Mexico for four years but you didn't know what would happen if there was a problem. Yet you still have not told us how the erosion was the fault of Dr. Rodriguez. I'll grant you, he has wayyy more erosions than other docs, but that does not mean this one was his fault. There was a specific reason his erosion stats are so high and with an Inamed or J&J band his erosion stats are no likely higher than anyone elses.

You complain that you can't sue your doc but you have not yet explained how it is Dr. Rod's fault you eroded. Why would you sue him for a known complication of the band? It's a fact, 1.3% of folks erode. It's not right nor fair but it is reality. So why are you so focused on the rights to sue Dr. Rod?

You blame Mexico because you had to pay for your own complications when in reality, you would have had to pay a whole heck of a lot more if you would have been banded and debanded in the US. You act like since it was Mexico they should remove your band for free. Are you under the assumption that medical fees are charged in the US for all procedures except removing a band?

You are not being slammed for your newbie status. You are being confronted on all your other issues. The above are a few examples.

There is a ton of information on doctors and their stats. There are many patients who will share experiences with you. If you had your surgery several years ago there was still a great deal of info and you would have easily been able to find info. If it was recent, the information practically pours in your lap if you turn on a computer.

I just find it curious that you were so challenged when it came to researching WLS options and docs yet you have no problem coming here and slam dunking all of Mexico because you had the same problem that 1.3% of banded people experience. You have to admit, you aren't coming off with a huge amount of credibility.