Deductibles/coinsurance

Did anyone have to pay your deductible and coinsurance before your wls? I have Kaiser HMO and a $1,000 deductible I think I'd have to pay beforehand, but it makes sense to me that you would pay coinsurance after because you don't know what will happen during surgery. My I'm responsib;e for 20% coinsurance and $3,000 OOP.
Any advice?

Yikes!! I only had to pay Kaiser a whopping $250. co payment for everything from pre op through 1 years post op check ups. You can call member services and ask them, they will now all the details for your particular plan. 
The number for member services is 1-800-464-4000

I had 2 pay 1,500.00. 500 4 the first 3 nights. 2 months latter the hospital sent me back 500.00.

I oversee our District's benefits and generally deductibles have to be met before the insurance will pay their portion of the benefit payments.  You are correct about paying the co-insurance after the surgery though.  A lot depends on your summary plan description (SPD)and how your plan was designed.  Do you have a copy of your SPD?  Do deductible's apply only for surgery?  If so, I would expect that they would collect up front.

Hope I've helped.  Please feel free to PM me and I can give you my cell number to assist further if you need it.

Hugs,
Barb

I was wondering the same thing. Sounds like your plan is similar to mine.   We have a $500 detectable per person/yr and a $3,000 total out of pocket per person/yr  ($7,000 for whole family).  Or medical covers 90% which means I have to pay 10%. 

I called Kaiser the other day so I can plan on what I am going to have to give at the time of surgery.  The rep I talked to said that they are going to want the detectable (or the remainder you haven't met)  and they will ask for a deposit of a projected amount of the surgery.  He thought it would be about $250.00.  So for my case they would want approx $750 (I haven't paid anything towards my delectable this year).  He also mentioned that Kaiser is a non-profit & if you don't have the $$ up front to ask them to bill you and they CAN NOT refuse you for surgery no matter what.  I asked even if it is an elective procedure like this one & he said yes.   So, from the information that I received if you don't have the full amount give them what you can & tell them to bill you.   Don't know if anyone else has had a different experience. 

Now I can tell you that I have had an emergency surgery in 2007 & the billing person was running after me while they were literally running me down the hall to emergency surgery asking for my $500 detectable.  I couldn't believe it.  I told my mom to tell her we would take care of it after I was out.  I was so strapped for money at that time, I just had a baby & was off work for 3 moths on maternity leave.  I wish I knew that I could have told them to bill me.

Thanks everyone for your input! I just thought about something. I'm wondering if I paid out money towards my deductible for Psych eval and Nutrition consult, and then the year ends, I'll probably have to start my deductible over in Jan. That's gonna suck because it's already June.
I just don't want to denied the day of surgery because I didn't have all the moolah up front.

I know from experience that the detectable is during a calendar year.  So as of Jan. 1st it all starts over.

 

i have the 1500 deductable plan with kaiser as well, & i gave them a partial payment of $500.00, & they billed me for the rest. I ended up paying a total of $2.500.00 because of the 2 day stay in the hospital.

Kandis...I have to pay $200 before my surgery on August the 2nd...I have to come up with it a week before my surgery.

Thanks again for all your replies!