Poll: How much does your Fills cost?

When I first got my band back in 2005, my insurance paid 100 percent, I did not pay a dime, I only sign my release papers after surgery. My co pay for fills were only $10 dollars.

Over the years that changed, my previous surgeon charged me about $210 dollars with no insurance and only $100 dollars for any unfills.

Now with a new surgeon and new insurance, my new insurance does not cover any fills, but they will pay for office visits, so my surgeon charges $300 dollars per fill and my insurance pays for the office visit which is $90 (aftercare) and I have to pay the rest of $175 dollar per needle stick - ouch, but not too bad for a weight loss solution to keep my meals small at 7 years post op...lol.

I''ve heard in certain areas of the country especially California and New York of people having to pay as much as $1200 for a single fill....

So how much do you pay for your fills and aftercare?

As a self-pay patient, I have to pay $150.00 per visit, but I think if it were covered under my insurance, the charge would be $300 to the ins. company, and I would only have a co-pay. 

The $150 for me includes the fill under the flouro and visit with the surgeon. 


Its worth it.

I am a self-pay patient. Originally I was having fills done under fluoro in Flagstaff. They were costing me I think (been awhile) $225 per fill. I have since switched to a local surgeon who has excellent pricing for self pay. I pay $50 for an office visit w/o fill and $100 for office visit w/fill. If I need an emergency unfill within a few days of getting a fill, he usually waives the fees.

It all has to do with (A) your insurance company (B) where you get it done (C) how it's done.

My insurance covers it, since it's considered a "follow-up" procedure, so it's my co-pay.

If I go to the hospital, all I pay is the co-pay, but if go to a "banding" center, then I need to pay out of pocket. By me the banding center will charge no more than $250.00, that excludes the Doctor's cost.

If a Doctor does it in his office using the "blind" (poke and hope) method it's probably an initial cheaper price compared going to the hospital using a fluoroscope method. However, the fluoroscope method may be "cheaper" in the long run. Quick example, Doctor "A" charges $100.00 for in office fills, while Doctor "B" charges $300.00 for hospital/fluoroscope fill. However it takes 4 trips to Doctor A to get the same result as with Doctor B.

Call around, and double check with your insurance. May sure they know this is a FOLLOW-UP procedure, and see what happens. Talk to a Supervisor to make sure.

I just had an appointment 2 weeks ago and got my EOB in.  The doctor's fee for the unfill and office vist was $389.00, but the 2 items weren't broken down.  My cost share is about $59.

The amount the doctor charges for fills/unfills has changed drastically since I started in 2009.  It used to be $150.00 for everything!

$1,200 for a fill?  I've lived in both New York and California and, while health care can be expensive, that is insane. 

With my insurance, in California, I have paid about $35 - $60 for a co-pay.  I have really good insurance and the price billed to my insurance was between $150 - $300.

In Kuwait, my insurance reimbursed me for one unfill and one fill to the turn of about $175 each.  In those instances, my copay was $0.  They also denied reimbursement for a second fill (still $175).  (My insurance coverage overseas differs from stateside.)

My insurance did not cover surgery or follow ups so I pay all out of pocket.  $75 for unfill, $100 for fill.

 With my original surgeon I think they were $90. With the surgeon I changed to later, they were $50 and later went up to $60 (without flouro). Now I have insurance that covers WLS, so I just pay my $45 specialist co-pay.

Cleveland Clinic in Florida... all adjustments done with fluro... $850 insurance or cash, doesn't matter which. Needless to say no adjustments in a while.

Holy crap!  Is there an alternate choice in the area?