Self pay: Where do I start?

This may sound really stupid but, I'm new and I'm overwhelmed with information. This is my problem:  My insurance absolutely will not cover any weight loss surgery under any cir****tances (Because the employer won't allow it).  My PCP and my cardiologist tried to help to no avail. I had located a couple of surgeons in the Atlanta area that wouldn't even talk to me without insurance. Now I don't know what to do.  I don't personally know anyone who has had to self-pay and I just need some advice. Does anyone have any suggestions for someone to call that has financing or competitive pricing for self-pay patients? Am I going to have to look into going out of the country? Has anyone here done that? I just don't know where to start.

First you need to attend a doctor's seminar.  Most docs I have heard of will take self-pay patients, so I don't know why you ran into a problem.  And I think Dr. Champion won't even take insurance patients anymore.  But if you go to a seminar you should be able to get the ball rolling.  There are a few finance companies, but I don't know much about them, sorry.  And most surgeons have a "cash price".  I've done some checking and in Atlanta, that seems to be around $22-24K.

BTW, you aren't by any chance a state employee, are you?

-Elli

Thanks, I was a little intimidated by the seminar thing, it sounded weird but I'll look into that. And I promise, the first doctor that my PCP refered me to, said he wouldn't see HMO patients, only PPO. The second surgeon cancelled my consultation after the insurance turned me down and said they couldn't help me. I just assumed that was common.

And my husband works for Georgia Tech, so yeah kinda.

All you need is to look or research what your looking for and ask all the folks on the board for advice.  If you look you will see which doc are the best and cheapest.  A lot of Docs are qualified but don't do it everyday and are not specialist at this deal.  If your military then try Fort Gordon but if not theirs alot out their. The financing can be how good a negotiator you are..

Hi I had my surgery on 9/2 this group have self pay. This Dr is on ch. 5 every thursday between 7:45 and 8:10 am. Wonderful Work

Welcome to Peachtree Surgical & Bariatrics
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Hello Sweetie,
I can help you! I was a self pay too and I found a wonderful surgeron, he too has had the gastric bypass and the staff is wonderful. His name is doctor Byron Freeman (http://www.freemanandcompany.com ) his charges were way better than here in Atlanta. His office is in Alabama, and it was only and hour and 30 mins from my home in Stockbridge, GA. My total cost was just a little over 18,000.00. I hope that this helps.

Hug's
Jeannie

Thank You! I was looking at that website before and I was interested in them. I think it's under 2 hours from where I am. It helps to hear that someone had a good experience there and that they are probably a viable option!

A lot of us on the VSG forum have gone to Mexico, where the cost is around $10,000.  There are several doctors there -- Dr. Alvarez, Dr. Aceves, Dr. Joya ... um, someone else I can't remember at the moment.  All are top-notch.  Which type of surgery are you considering?    --Dorothy

I think I want a Lap-Band but I was worried about going out of the country and needing to travel back and forth for adjustments. I was thinking that a gastric bypass ( which I don't really want) might be the way to go if  I were to go to Mexico,. --Truly I really have no clue what the reality of it is, I need to talk to people that have gone out of the country.

Check on the lap band forum on this site, and read people's Mexico experiences and how they handle adjustments.  I don't know how that works.  But I will tell you that many folks on the VSG forum went to Mexico, myself included, and 99% of us had wonderful experiences.  I certainly did.  With the VSG there is really no follow-up, so going out of the country was not a problem.  And (push push!) if you aren't determined to have the band or bypass, spend some time on the VSG forum.  We are a bunch of satisfied customers!  Best wishes in your decision-making :-)    --Dorothy