Self Pay isn't so bad

I absolutely paid for my own surgery. The contract with my employer for 25 years specified an exact amount of money for each hour I worked that went into both my pension fund and health insurance. This was MY money, not the company's money, or the insurance company's money. I agreed not to take this money in my paycheck every week, but to use part of it for health, and part for retirement. If I wanted to, I could go back and add up every nickel that I earned that went to health and welfare payments over the years, and how much of that I used for medical reasons. I guarantee I paid in more than was paid out, several times over.

Why do we look at health insurance as some sort of gift? This was, unequivocally, MY money, that I earned, hour by hour, busting my a$$ for 25 years. And when I needed it, I used it.

As far as I'm concerned, I was self pay just as much as if I had rolled a wheelbarrow to the bank and taken it out in quarters. MY money.

Exactly, we pay for insurance they need to pay for our care. I am an insurance fighter and while it's time consuming and frustrating I have more time than I have money. And in the end the insurance needs to pay, the more we appeal and win the more likely these companies will wake up and cover the treatment of obesity. Also, even if I had the $ to self-pay for surgery, do I have the $ to pay for complications? If insurance doesn't cover the surgery they usually are not going to cover any complications so it's in our best interest to get insurance to cover surgery.

That is awesome!  And, yes, you indeed did self pay, and you found the way to make it happen.  Congrats!

 Love your post!

Great post I am also self pay for my two surgeries VSG to DS not rich and a single mom but best money ever spend for me and my kids. There is a saying that Heath is wealth good luck. I also had a tummy tuck and breast lift life is GOOD. Wish  you well

My weight loss surgery was paid for by my husband's insurance plan and my surgery was done at a research hospital.  I am committed to be a "model" patient so that the resulting studies will show that, at least for me, surgery was successful and ultimately resulted in REDUCED costs for the insurer.  Reducing costs is the name of the game, folks.  If the insurance cos. see success and reduced costs, they will cover it for more people who need it.

I am a kindergarten teacher and my insurance doesn't cover it.  I was heartbroken when I found out the surgery wasn't covered.  One of our standards is teaching kids to healthy.  To exercise and eat healthy and yet teachers are stressed most of the time and what do we do we eat chocolate and other junk foods.  But the district won't cover weight loss surgery or cover  products to help quit smoking.

After two years I decided that I was just going to do.  So I took out a loan and paid for it.   Hopefully I can one day go the board and make my case for others why this should be

part of our insurance package.