Surgery this month or wait till Jan?

Ok so it's taken about a year to get everything I need together - the only thing I need is 1 more PCP office visit to complete my 6 months of diet/exercise documentation and then a nut eval and psych eval (which I HOPE I can get done this month!)

ANYWAY...I know the "no brainer" answer BUT I am going to throw my question out there anyway...

Soooooo I (like many others nowadays) am on a strict budget. If I can get approved for my surgery by the end of this month, I will owe about $4000 upon check in at the hospital. Anyone know if this has to be paid in full? My surgeon's office told most people do a partial payment and then smaller payments to pay it off. If this is the case I want this surgery ASAP but how much would/should I have in hand to apply toward my deductible on the day of surgery?

MY "worse case senerio" my insurance is either going away fully OR it's going to be much better...by that I mean that beginning in Jan it would only be $1500 deductible and I would be able to get FSA (Flexible spending account) to cover it.

I won't know till end of the month which "worse case" - as that is when enrollment and contracts will be finalized.

I know waiting till Jan would be the smarter move financially but scared if I wait it won't be the option I get delt. ANY ADVISE?

if you get an approval.. how long is it good for? also, you should get plenty of notice on what your insurance will or will not be before january (we got our paperwork in today for next year to review policies/options). 

i personally would not risk loosing my wls & waiting until january.  good luck!

     FYI - I was approved by BCBS (verbal to Dr's insurance clerk) back in Nov. of 2007.  We got all the info together, set a date and sent the letter for final approval.  A BCBS rep called back to ask the Dr. to wait until after the first of Jan. 2008 due to some "issue".  It's been too long and I don't remember the exact details.  Any way, The Dr.'s office called and asked me about waiting and since I didn't really have a problem with it, we agreed.  After the new year, the Surgeon's office wrote for the final surgery approval.  The Dr. was casually advised that as of Jan. 01, 2008, my BCBS plan no longer covered ANY weight loss process.  They wouldn't even pay for a Dr's office visit if the sole purpose was regarding weght loss.
     I was totally out of luck for 3 year.  I didn't even know they had added WLS back on until Nov. of last year when I got my new benefits booklet and ACCIDENTLY saw the surgery listed at the very back of the book. 
     I immediately got back with my surgeon and BCBS had turned me down 3 times.  Finally I got a tenative approve but first I had to do a 6 month (180 day) diet.  At the end of the 5th month of the first diet period, my bariatric surgeon was advised that BCBS had just changed their requirements and the 6 month diet had to be completed with my PCP, not the surgeon.  Here we go again I thought!  I had to start all over again with my PCP doing the 6 month diet.  I joined Weigh****cher's too, just to be on the safe side.  So instead of failing on a diet for 6 months, I ended up doing it for 11 months.  Nothing like BCBS making sure you end up feeling like a complete and utter failure for as long as they possibly can!
     I have finally been approved for RNY and have a surgery date set for 11/29/2010.  I won't believe it until I am in recovery and my guts have been cut out!  I don't trust BCBS any further than I can throw their building! 
     The lessons here?  Get your approval in writing from your insurance company and get the surgery completed as soon as you can comfortably afford to do so!