$15,000 BILL!!

Hi: I have Aetna insurance and hap lap band surgery on Jan.16, 2007. I just got a bill from my Dr. for 15,000.00. The bill from the hospital was 28,000 and my insurance will only pay a lifetime bariatric surgery fee of 10,000. I was not told that I would be billed for this much prior to surgery. Has anyone else had an experience like this. I'm freaking out. I had some adhesions that had to be removed . The fee for that was 3500.00 and I ended up staying overnight in the hospital due to nausea/vomiting from anesthesia and morphine which added to the cost of the hospital stay.

Call Aetna. They probably have a negotiated rate with the hospital. That amount is the hospital bill, not the negotiated rate.  Ask Aetna what your payment should be. I can't imagine that is the true bill.