Lap Band

Ok, i've decided after much thought, i'm going to go with the Lap Band proceedure, i've looked at the recovery time etc, and feel this is what i'm going to do. question: I got a price for RNY from the doctor; have you any idea what it costs for a lap band?

Dr. Christou charges $18,000 for RNY and $17,000 for Lap-band.

OKay... WOW.. Dr. Christou emailed me last night as a matter of fact, and told me it's 16,000 - even still, I'm quite surprised. I don't even know where to begin now - I see alot of messages on boards about insurance coverage - does the same go with Canada? If I would submit a claim, would it be accepted? I am so confused right now, 16 is not the number I had in mind, i was thinking more like 10. YIKES. have you known anyone that has taken the credit route?

Oh, when I went in January it was 17,000 Unfortunately, it's quite different in QC than in other provinces. As of now, the required BMI in 55 in order for the government to pay for surgery...and even then, the waiting list goes anywhere from 2 to 7 years. At my support group meeting yesterday, they even mentioned the clinic not taking any more names at all because of the long wait. Which is why I am going private. Many private insurrances do cover the lap-band under the name of "gastric banding", you could look into that. There is also a hospital in Val D'or which just started to perform bariatric surgery. not sure if they do the band, but since they're so new, the wait is relatively short. I have no contact information though... And as far as financing goes, the credit companies they deal with charge between 25 and 28% interest on medical loans, so it would probably be better do just get it from the bank, or off your house. I'm no expert when it comes to financing though, I hope that made sense!

When I talked it over with my husband at first - i threw him 5, then i upped it to 10 $ he was still ok with that.. now at 16; he's like - uhh no. so unless i come into some money or sun life covers it.. i'm afraid this will not be an option for me. i can't believe it.

Definitely call sunlife, they probably won't cover all of it, but a small chunk can help. I would call first, see what they say...and then send a personalized letter to them explaining your situation! Don't give up

Hey there. i also have SunLife, as I work with the federal government. I would definitely look at a copy of your ploicy - it may be different for you, but our province (Manitoba) does not perform the surgery at all, so it appears that I can claim back a sizeable amount. Definitely email them or call them to find out. Good luck!

And another thing about the hubby - this is an important life-saving surgery - it's not a facelift or a little Botox for crying out loud! I guess it won't bother him if you die while waiting in the public system then? Grrr.. sorry it just upsets me when all some spouses can think about is the cost! What if you needed dialysis or cancer treatment and it wasn't covered?? Jeez! I'll bet if it was an expensive man-toy he would be walking all over your protestations and buying the item anyway... You are important, and you need to do what you need to do. Good luck.