financial question, please help!

Hi guys, I have a question about the cost of lapband and bypass. I am a good candidate for either procedure, and I am now leaning way toward the bypass. I posted several questions on the main board....but thought I would post this one here since costs usually vary from area to area.

So my question is - what are the approximate costs of lab band and of bypass? I have to pay 20%...and I need to make sure I can handle the increased expense of the bypass. He said it would be an overnight stay in the hospital. I would incurr surgeon fees, anesthesia fees and hospital fees. I am going to have this done in Charlotte....bujt I figure that NC is probably all very similar in costs. The band would be outpatient but I assume the same 3 fees aply.

Can anyone help me with what kind of bills to expect, so I can figure out what my 20% will cost me.

Also - will they bill me for all of this? I know that my deductible has to be paid upfront but I am hoping that I can pay the other afterward.

Thank you so much for your help!!!!!!

hey.   I had the rny in Hickory. I only have the hospital bill in front of me.  It was for 2 nights stay.  The hospital bill was 78,035.00.  That is not including my doctors bills or anesthesiolgist.  (I hope I got that right.)  I hope this helps. 

 $78,000?!!  Did they use golden equipment with diamond tips?

THAT IS WHAT I WAS WONDERING MY SELF.    I am glad i have insurance that paid for most of it.  my pharmacy was extremely high also. 

78,000.00 is extreme.  I would contact the hospital billing department, discuss this and ask for a itemized statement.  Sounds like a mistake was made and you will be billed a percentage of it.  It happens all the  time!!  They hope you don't catch it.

I had my surgery (bypass) on  1/21/2009.  Hospital bill was about 26,000.  I was only in 1 night.  I had my surgery at Durham Regional Hospital.  Hope this helps.

The final cost of the surgery and the actual part you will pay will totally depend on what the insurance actually refines the cost to be. Your 20% will be that amount and not 20% of the estimated cost you will be given by the hospital and the surgeon's office. A lot of the costs will be capped including your deductable by the insurance company as well. The best course of action is to put aside what ever your maximum deductable would be for the year plus about 10% of that and you should be okay.

I had my surgery done in WS @ Baptist Hospital.  With my insurance it was a 90/10 split . I have a yearly max out of pocket of $2500 so with everything else I had done during the year, I had to pay roughly $2300 for my surgery.  That was the copay for the in hospital stay (I had a 2 night stay) + the remaining on my max out of pocket.  I had to pay that amount upfront.  Baptist checked with the insurance so they could tell me exactly what I would need to bring them during my final pre-surgery appts.  Good luck!

Forgot to add, the surgery and all fees were about $26,000.  Mine wasn't a true 90/10 split simply because once I hit that $2,500 max out of pocket, everything else was covered at 100% which is why I was only out of pocket $2200 ($250 for hospital copay and > $1950 for surgery)

I see Dr. Melkonian and he is in the same office as Dr. Lowe.  They will not just bill you and make you pay up front.   I had to pay amost $600. and 11 months later they sent me a refund check for $533.   Now why it took them 11 months to figure out they owed me is beyond me and I was just pretty happy to get that check.   

My best suggestion to you would be to contact your insurance company and ask them what they allow for lap band vs RNY and then you can figure out what your 20% is.    I had my surgery done at Presby and they were wonderful.....could not have asked for better care and they have a floordedicated to gastric patients.   I did not have to pay them anything up front and my insurance ended up paying their bill in full.   My coverage is 90/10 after my $400 deductible. 

Good luck!

Pam