Program Fee

Have you had experience with Weiss/Oldham group. Those are very harsh words.  After "starting" with a particular sugeon's office can you switch to another office without much issue if no surgery has been performed?

I have to support hillofbeans.  Dr. W did my surgery and I started having problems in Dec. '08.  It took them until June of '09 to decide I had problems.  I didn't even see a doctor then until the day I had surgery over again and Dr. W was very rude to me prior to surgery.  He is a good surgeon but he does not follow you.  I did see him again for my post op follow up in June, but it was because I was leaving them to go to Dr. Sonnanstine.  I have done wonderful since I started seeing Dr. Sonnanstine and there is no way I would go back to Dr. W&O. 

Below this post someone asked is it easy to change doctors after starting with one group.  I don't know but it was easy for me to change when I did.  I would not worry about it though, go with the ones that care for their patients, not the ones that are only interested in the money you can pay them.  The "program fee" is a joke with them.  You are told that it is to cover aftercare, etc.  there is no aftercare and what little there is, is provided by the hospital not the doctors.  I would run away from this surgery mill and fill center as fast as I could. 

I know I will get flamed for this but frankly I have experienced both sides of the fence which is something most have not done. 

If aftercare meant free fills for life, it might almost be worth it, but it doesn't! Right? No flaming here. You are 100% dead on.

I don't know if it still works this way with W and O but use to if you were self pay they gave you free fills for life, or until they found out you had other insurance and they could bill for an office visit.  I know a person that was suppose to have free fills for life and they started billing her insurance for an office visit.  But then they did not bill her the balance which is insurance fraud, I have been told, don't know for sure on the fraud, but I believe if you bill the insurance then you have to bill the patient the balance. 

Honestly, free fills for life would not be enough to get me to go back to them. 

Jacqueline

Yes, I went to one consult with W/O. They may be great surgeons, but I know for a fact their aftercare sucks rocks. I know many of their patients, and many have switched to other surgeons for follow up b/c W/O can't be bothered.

Nope, it's never an issue to switch surgeons right up until the point you are on the table for surgery. You haven't been cut, you have plenty of time to go to another surgeon. Even if you already have insurance approval, you can have it transferred to another surgeon.

Good luck. I just want you to be aware of what the future holds if you become a W/O patient. I don't feel they are 100% honest up front. And yes, I do feel they are greedy, which is why they are branching out to whatever hospital they possibly can in the state. What happens if you have a major complication and they are in Hazard, Louisville or Maysville for the day?

Does anyone f Dr. Husted charges a program fee?

No, Dr. Husted does not charge a program fee.

A program fee is for nothing more than lining the pockets of the practice. Whatever bill of goods you are supposedly being sold with the fee is crap, and should be given to you free of charge.

Have you considered going to Georgetown?  There isn't a program fee & I have had the most wonderful experience there with all their supportive office staff, nurses, assistants, & with Dr. Sonnanstine.

If I had known then what I know now.  Famous last words.  However I would have went for the surgeon that gives more attention to their patients and w/o the program fee. 
The reason I chose Weiss and Oldham is because they assured me that they would not force a blood transfusion and the anethesiologist assured me that he would not override the surgeons decision.  Also I had two friends that did well after surgery with this group.  I did not check around to see if other bariatric surgeons would do the same, I just went with the ones I was sure would respect my decision.

Z

Hey lady, it is good to see you, how you doing?  You still going to W and O?  I will always say they are good surgeons but I just did not like that it took them so long to decide there was something wrong with my port. 

Jacqueline