Anyone use Dr. Olsofka/Saints Mary & Elizabeth??

Okay, I think I FINALLY have my money worked out!  My husband is letting me sell his 1969 Ford Mustang to raise the additional money I need for surgery so now I am down to selecting my Dr.  The one I liked best out of all I met is Dr. Olsofka with Saints Mary & Elizabeth Hospital in Louisville.  Has anyone used him or one of the other surgeons with him?  What has your experience been?

HI, I went to a seminar there. and Because I loved my grandaddy's 69 mustang, I wanted to tell you that other doctors do lapband without the 4000.00 up front that that group wants...   I will also tell you that At work I have heard that they do not give u fills unless you have not lost weight for a period of time..  Please dont do anything rash untill you have looked at other surgeons.. I paid 500.00 for my surgery out of pocket.. If you have insurance then please take a minute to look elsewhere too. Dr. Shina, Dr. Allen and his partners, Dr. Gellar, the list goes on... those doctors do not require 4000.00 up front.. and in my opinion, I have just a good a surgeon as those doctors..... My doctor seems to do it for the patients helth not for the money... They also dont tell you that U MAY NOT get that 4000.00 back as they claim u will. That is why they charge it upfront.. Insurance will not pay it... U MAY, OR MAY NOT get half of it back. I researched this alot with our HR officers and our insurance company at work... Good luck  dawn

Well, I met Dr. Shina and did his seminar Thursday.  I wasn't much on him at all.  He kept cussing and even said Jesus Christ!  That really offended me too.  I will check into Dr. Allen and them too though.  Thanks so much for the referral!

Dr. Shina is not everyone's cup of tea.  I do know though that those who have him as their doctor are VERY happy with their aftercare and say he's a fantastic doctor.  Dr. Allen is one of the busiest surgeons in the group so appointments and surgery scheduling can be drawn out.  You might want to check out Dr. Larson.  He's a 25+ year general surgeon who also teaches at UofL.  According to the Norton's website he's done over 1400 band placements.  I have also been told he frequently does mission work in other countries.  He is a bit eccentric though which drives a few people nuts but he's just fine in my book!! When he retires I might have to check out Dr. Shina or maybe Dr. Rodriquez.  Hopefully that won't happen for a few years though! I was self-pay.  PM me if you would like a breakdown of the fees associated with the Norton Bariatric Group. ~Becka~

  I am one of those that am really happy with Dr.Shina's aftercare. He has really been great with me and I was one who didnt really like him at first. He isn't everyones cup of tea.. I just want to make sure you look at all your options before u pay the upfront fee for the other doctors..  and I apologize, i forgot Dr rodriguez completely, thanks dawn

After reading this thread, I have to put my 2 cents in. The St. Mary's docs, although have a good reputation from their patients, they seem to be greedy. I have met many people who had paid a large fee to them, because they are out-of-network for most insurance plans, where everyone other doc and hospital is in-network. I think they used to charge $6000.00 up front (which they charged my friend on Passport insurance). Now, it seems they charge $4000.00. I don't understand how they get away with this. As stated in this thread, the docs through the Norton Bariatric Center (Allen, Geller, Rodriguez) all are part of a Center of Excellence, and the Blue Center of Excellence for those BCBS patients and in-network with most insurance companies. I am not at all a fan of Shina and I know many of his patients have switched to other doctors both before and after surgery. Dr. Allen and Geller are my first choices, but Allen takes a long time to see and it seems he is sending people to his young partners. For those of you reading this and don't know what out-of-network means, let me warn you. Out-of-network or non-par (non-participating) means the doc does not have a contract with your insurance and they are allowed to charge you whatever they want. Your insurance may pay them, but they have the right to bill you whatever they want, because they are not limited by any contract. When your doc is in-network or par, they have a contract with your insurance and may bill more than your insurance allows, but are limited by the insurance contract to what the insurance will pay and you (and me) are not responsible for the difference. So, just be aware that if you want to have gastric bypass or band surgery in Louisville, and don't want to pay an unnecessary extra $4000, you have these options with Allen, Geller and Rodriquez. Thanks for listening to my ramble.

I guess I just see it differently.  I don't see it as them being greedy.  Nobody has to go see them.  Any bariatric surgeon in town takes more types of insurance than they do.  They have made the choice to not participate with any insurance plans other than Anthem, and they potentially limited their patient base by doing so.  They seem to be very upfront about what their charges are and what's covered by those charges.  Patients who choose them as self pay or out of network don't go to them because they have no other options.  They go to them because they think that doctor is the best choice for them.  If patients somehow had no choice in the matter I would see it differently, but as it is, I think it's up to each of us to choose what's best for ourselves. Despite the fact that they don't accept most insurance, I have never been in their office when they didn't seem to be busy.  I guess some people feel their charges are worth it. I know that I wouldn't go there if they didn't accept my insurance because I wouldn't be able to afford it, but if I was a self pay patient I would definitely still want to go there.  I just think my doctor is a good fit for me, and that means a lot.

Dr. Schuster in that office is my doctor.  I just love him, he's great!  And Saints Mary & Elizabeth hospital was GREAT.  Everyone there was so nice....all departments, from registration, to radiology, to surgery, and all other areas...they're all great.  I originally went with them because I have (Anthem) BCBS Federal Employee insurance, and St Mary's was the only Blue Distinction Center for bariatric surgery in the area, and Drs. Olsofka, Lusko, and Schuster are the only doctors that do bariatric surgery there.  Once I went to the seminar and then had my first appointment with the surgeon, I really liked that they are so specialized with LapBand. I do know that Anthem insurance is the only insurance that they accept.  Other than that, all their patients are self pay.  I know that cost is a big consideration, but I definitely recommend keeping them in mind.

I see Dr. Lusco,He is a good Doctor . St. Mary 's is great, everyone is so nice and helpful.

How much have you lost so far?