WHISKEY TANGO FOXTROT -- $4,000 PROGRAM FEE!!

Honey, in your very wettest dreams you'll never be Norma Rae. 

Sue!! I'm gonna pee my pants here at work laughing at this!

"What happens to the people who don't have the money?  This fee makes it seem more like "cosmetic surgery".My sense is there are some of you who are in the afterglow of weight loss.  We see this different from the outside.  "

When was the last time you worked for free? Why should your doctor work for free?

What happens to the people who don't have the money? This fee makes it seem more like "cosmetic surgery".

Welcome to the U.S. health care system. You have to pay into it to get anything out of it. I had my surgery out of the country, HOWEVER, I lived in that country at the time. My insurance paid for a large majority of it but I still had to pay into it. My share was under $3000.00. I also paid for my mother's surgery entirely. That was $12,000.00 with the same surgeon that I used. She flew over to where I lived to get it there. And just so you know, that country was Kuwait. Yes we had surgery in the Middle East.

Yes, obesity is a disease, but this is an ELECTIVE surgery!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Like it or not, thems the facts.

Nobody should do a DS on your narrow minded ass. If you are *****ing about a program fee, I'm wondering how much you are going to ***** about the cost of vitamins, which your insurance WILL NOT COVER AT ALL......even though they are medically necessary for aftercare. Will you please take up that cause for the rest of us who must pay out of pocket for those while you're at it? I'd sure love to have those things covered also.

My thoughts exactly! 

I was am a virgin DS'er of Dr. Keshishian and I paid the $3K program fee, revisions are $4k.  My husband thought the program fee was absurd too but I think he has changed his mind based on the care I have received.

When/If you have a consultation with Dr. Keshishian, he or his staff will be glad to explain the reasoning behind the program fee.  I can only speak from the stand point of the DS procedure but DS surgeons are not compensated any additional money by the insurance companies for preforming the DS procedure or an RNY to DS conversion.  Both of these surgeries require a very high surgical skill set and a lot of extra training.  It is also a longer procedure and surgeons cannot churn a bunch of them out in one day like they can with the gastric band, RNY or sleeve. 

I would also like to point out that I have had excellent pre-op care with Dr. Keshishian.  There have been more than a couple of times that I have called the office with a concern or questions and Dr. K has answered the phone.  Even outside of business hours I have had no trouble contacting  Dr. K, he has called me right back via his answering service.

Insurance companies are strong arming doctors and patients, it is getting ridiculous. I have Anthem Blue Cross and I pay out of pocket in order to see my internal medicine doctor.  They backed her into a corner and it was no longer financially feasible for her to accept their terms and paperwork.  Just as I was willing to pay Dr. K's program fee I am also willing to pay to see this doctor.  Is it fair, no, it isn't but in this day and age it is what it is.  I personally think that insurance industry is a total racket and many of their "practices" are unethical.

Trxy - I agree to some degree.  But my insurance covers nutrition and psych.  I want to choose my providers.  

I'd like to hear from those who have not paid, wanted to but couldn't.

How many of you told your insurance company about the fee?


M

I originally consulted with another surgeon here in Orange County.  I had my Psych evaluation and some of the pre-op testing done through them, paid for by my insurance and this surgeon required no program fee.  I had this information faxed to Dr. K's office and I was covered for that portion of the pre-op requirements.

I can also add that although this other surgeon didn't have a program fee he did have a nutritional supplement requirement that was to be purchased from his office and it you needed to be on it 2 weeks pre-op and 4 weeks post-op.  It ended up being pretty pricey once you calculated the total cost and it wasn't covered by insurance. I wouldn't doubt that there was some financial benefit for the surgeon for pushing this particular line of nutritional supplements.

God bless you all.  I'm done with this discussion.  Not one of you got the point.

I am so far from an angry person, its not funny.  That said, I am a person who fights for what's right.  If you disagree with me, I am fine with that.  But your personal attacks are uncalled for and I pity those who did.

Peace out.  The best revenge is a life well lived.  May you never know heartache.

I won't be responding to any more notes.  Bye.

I know you won't be responding anymore but in case you do continue to read this thread, there are organizations that offer grants for people who are unable to afford WLS and do not have adequate health insurance.  Here is a link to an article in case you or anyone else is interested:

www.weightlosssurgerychannel.com/breaking-wls-news/weight-lo ss-surgery-non-profit-helping-to-pay-for-procedures.html/