any self payers???

To anybody who doesn't have insurance or has insurance that will not cover surgery or any complications due to the surgery.....does anybody know what would consist of the "complications due to the surgery"??? I have Federated insurance and it does not cover anything related to WLS and I am just a little bit scared of that phrase.....my mom had lap band 3 yrs ago and after 1 yr needed her gallbladder removed...i'm not sure if that is a so called "complication" but I am just looking for anybody's experience with this??  It is something that is keeping me from pursuing the surgery.  Thank you for any help!! 

That might be a conversation you might have to have with your insurance company. I know the rapid weight loss can be blamed for gallbladders going bad...... as well, there are absolutely no guarantees no matter who your surgeon is.

You might be able to negotiate a price whi*****ludes treatment if you have problems with a wound, or dehydration things like that.

Is it possible you might be able change insurance carriers?

good luck!

no I would not be able to change insurance providers, our insurance is through my husband and my employer does not offer insurance..only a flex plan.  There must be some way around this though because people get breast implants or nose jobs all of the time and that is the same sort of thing when it comes to coverage.  Unless people just rely on not having any complications. 

It just depends on what your doctor will classify the "complications" to your insurance company. I wouldn't think Gallbladder would be a complication, but it might be because we're prone to gallbladder problems post WLS. I'm having a revision next week of my RNY due to an ulcer - which is considered a complication of surgery.

I know this post is old- but I just saw it.  If your insurance will not pay for WLS- don't give the surgeon the insurtance information to submit WLS claims to them.   If a year later they get a claims for gallbladder surgery....how will they know if it is related to WLS?  They won't.!!  Insurance companies get claims elelctronically and pay electronically now.  They are not going to request medical records on a gallbladder surgery- it's out paitnet and not costly.  The complications you have to worry about would be those directly related to the surgery.  Ulcers, band slippage etc.

Thank you for the reply.  That was very helpful.  I was just worried that some how things would be coded differently and then it would not be covered.  I knew that anything with the actual band itself would be my responsibility, I was just worried about anything else that may happen.  People have all different kinds of plastic surgery all of the time and I'm sure insurance does not cover any of that so I figured there must be a way around it.  I am just a little bit worried about something happening during or after surgery like infection or something....but i guess it doesn't cost a whole lot of just go for an office visit and pay for some antibiotics.  Thanks for your help...it really eased my nerves!!