Self Pay...then continue to fight?

I have a question.  I am not willing to wait the months, or years, it may take for my insurance company to approve wls.  Therefore, I am planning to self pay.  Can I continue to appeal and go through the process with the insurance company to get payment for the procedure even if I've already paid and had it done?  If so, how feasible is it that they will approve and reimburse me?

It depends... My insurance approval contract says specifically that gastric surgery is only covered if it is pre-certified/pre-approved. So in my case the answer would be no. If I were to do what you were suggesting, I would never get a reimbursement. Also, if you have complications from the surgery and they deny the surgery, they can deny to pay for treatment for the complications. To answer your question directly: I would wait for insurance approval and not risk it. I hope you get approved soon!

Hey Sassy Ash Have you tried your insurance yet?  Nothing beats a try and we're all willing to lend advice for your approval.  I had about 3 months of hoops to jump through.  I didn't want to deal with the insurance at first.  Paying cash would have cost me $20k with the surgeon I preferred.  I'm glad he (the surgeon) talked me into giving the insurance a try.  Yes, I had to wait a few months.  Saving $20k makes it all worth it in the end.   You do what you feel is best, but know that we're here to support you. 

hi, It depends.  Sometimes when they know you paid they love to deny or drag their feet,  You'll only get back whatever the rate was that the doc was to be paid and not what you paid if it's higher. If you lose, then at the end of all appeals you can sue.  You just have to go through the appeals process before you sue. The down side is that if you had the surgery and they deny you, you have one bite at the apple, whereas if you didnt yet and were denied, you could have your doc resubmit for approval and get another set of appeals