to change docs or not? Your views. please!

if you feel that confident then I would go for it 100% then , less drive time and money like you said .

First off.  Love the photo Jill.

I mistakenly  took the idea that I will always be able to put the maintenance and follow up care that was needed to succeed with my band for granted, because I will always have insurance.  We have insurance thru my Hubbies work, plus my Hubby is retired military so we have insurance coverage as well.  Once we move home to OZ I will be fully covered as well.

I had my surgery done down in LA at Cedar Sinai.  I have 2 insurances so my whole process has been very cheap.  I never gave a second thought of going in for check ups or fills because I knew they were fully covered.  Even though it is a 2.5 hour drive down to LA , one way with the traffic and 1/2 day off work.  ( thank goodness I have a great boss)

Last June at a check up my Dr says that he is moving into private practice in Beverly Hills.  I gasp and say I hope you still are taking my insurance.  He looks at me as says don't worry, nothing has changed in that area.  OK.  3 months pass and I call the office to make an appointment to get a fill.  The Office Manager tells me that there is a $150.00 co-pay for fills and $135.00 co pay for a office visit.  I nearly fell off my chair.  I explained the conversation that I had with the Dr.  Well now  he  is not in the Blue Cross network and they still bill the insurance company but this is the extra amount.

I gotta tell you I was pissed off .  I called around the area that I live and no Dr will accept another Dr's patient.  So I felt that I was really stuck and let down.  For the lap band to work you really have to put in the  time for maintenance.

Long story short - I called Cedar's and was told "once you are a patient at Cedars you are a patient for life'  So I got my fill done there, which was fully covered under the insurance.

I do love my Dr and he has given me wonderful care.  But Cedars have given me the same care as well.  I refuse to pay $200.00 am month for Health Insurance and then have to pay $$ out of pocket when not necessary.  Oh I think something must have happened because  my office visits are now fully covered.

So my take on it is - If you are getting the same care with the NHS why not save that money.  If you are really unhappy with the standard of care you can always go back to you private Dr.  But if you will put off an appointment solely because of the cost ( and who wouldn't) then I say switch.

I am planning to get very thin and very healthy with all the walking I will need to do if the gas/petrol prices do not stop.  The cheapest in my area today is $3.81 a gallon at Sams Club - YIKES.  It is now costing me $50.00+ to fill up.

$3.81 a gallon? Ours is about $9 a gallon!!!!!!! DH just filled the tank on our (not enormous!) car and it cost £85 (that's £ not $!)

Thank you Denise, I've only just worked out how to resize it so it fits on the profile page, lol

Jill

Peace of mind is worth more than dollars BUT having said that,  I agree with giving the NHS a try as long as your present dr would take you back if you wanted to switch back.  If once you're gone you have to stay that way then I would stick with what you have now. JMHO

Hey Kate!

Do you have to choose one or the other?  Speaking for myself I don't believe I could ever leave my "Lap Band Doc" even if I could find another doc that would provide the services for free.  He is not the guy that banded me, but he sure is the one that took great care of me for the last 5years. He is right on the money, you know?  No one is perfect but he has never missed the mark.  If you have that type of care and you really can keep it, do!

Don't listen to me, I am a little emotional.  I don't do well with cut and dry care.  I feel vulnerable when I have to rely on someone to take care of me and I surrender myself and my life to someone who is extremely competent in their profession and human too. In the end, I need to feel safe and taken care of "in your arms".  Now not everyone needs that.  You need to do what you need.

I wish you well.

Leila

Leila, I think I am like you! That element of trust is so important!! Um, not decided!

Kate

hmmm if it were me and I could afford the extra cost without foregoing the necessities in life, I would stick with the one you like.  For the barium swallow, is it possible you could have your doctor order it and have someone that is under your national health insurance do it so the procedure would be covered?

Not sure what gasoline (as we call it) costs in the UK but in my area it's .92 a litre  (do you buy it in liters? We buy it by the gallon which is 3.7 litres)  As far as the drive -- my surgeon is an hour away and at today's prices it costs me about $12.5 round trip. If you don't have to go that often and your gas or petrol is not sky high it might not be so bad.

Trixie

Petrol (gas!) is £5.65 - £ not dollars!!!!!! Think that counts as sky-high???? Over $9 dollars a gallon.

I used to get my NHS doc to arrange it and they would send the results (free) to my band doc (private). But they have changed the system and now they will only do the b swallow if I am their patient.

kate

I would change if it were me.  Save the $ for gas! hee hee

It's $3.37 here!  We are filling up 4 vehicles ( with 2 teens driving )