Burdened by Cost

Curious, how many people made it through this process. I am put off by the cost as it seems every step of the way there is more to pay and people just say it costs x or y as if money rains like manna from heaven. Sorry but as a very hard working single mom, I can buy a 3 liter soda for 99 cents. I can get 32 oz of OJ for about $3. When I got my walker because of my weight it costs me $8. The inssurance covered everything no questions even shipped it to my home. However,a psych consult to prove I am not crazy for trying to have a surgery to save my life $300. I guess the next line should be the ability to get a hug from my kids priceless? Any feed back would be nice. I am just starting to feel that I am near the end of my finances and maybe the end of my journey. When I haved saved sooo much for the surgeon and didn't plan for the small surprises.

I know from my experience that it can be very expensive. I chose a doctor who takes all insurances but as an out of network physician. I paid a $250.00 fee to see the doctor, $150.00 to see the psychiatrist and I picked my own nutritionist and since it was at University Hospital I only had to pay my 20%. Do not let money stop you from having the surgery. If necessary, ask to set up payment plans. Melissa

I've been very fortunate on this journey, in that my doctor, although not a participant with my particular insurance plan, accepted the insurance payment as payment in full for the surgery. I do have to pay out of pocket for office visits, but I can submit them to my insurance and get SOMETHING back from them. Like the old cliche goes - where there's a will, there's a way. Find a psych consult that is cheaper or someone who will take payments over time (my consult, FWIW, was $165, so half of what your quote is - shop around!!). Will your insurance cover any of your surgery? Find out what they'll cover and try to make an arrangement with the doctor to see if he'll accept what they pay. Years ago, I saw a woman on Oprah trying to tell people that it was just as cheap to eat healthy as it was to eat unhealthy. I still haven't found the store where that woman shops. I know for myself, I can get 10 boxes of mac and cheese sometimes on sale for $1 - even 4 for $1 is pretty good. Those 4 boxes of macaroni go a much longer way at feeding my four daughters than a dollars worth of lettuce. And any more, you can't even get a bunch of grapes for less than $3!! As a fat woman, I know I have come up with every excuse to be fat, but honestly, it's cheaper.

I hope your insurance pays for your procedure . Otherwise you should negotiate with your doctor for all the charges ahead of time even before you have any tests. I did this at my primary physician's suggestion and the surgeon was very reasonable. Good luck . VS

The psych consult is not about "proving [you're] not crazy." It's about making sure that you are a viable candidate for the surgery - that you understand the risks, benefits and life changes that the surgery will cause, and that you do not have unreasonable expectations of the surgery's effect on your life. If you are expecting a miracle, most surgeons won't operate on you, because when you don't get your miracle, you're very likely to sue them. Patients who don't or can't follow the instructions post-op, and therefore fail, also frequently sue the surgeon, blaming him/her for their failure. THAT'S what the psych evaluation is about.