Questions about plastic surgery

Thank you Kim!  I'll PM you now.

Felicia

I had my TT done exactly 1 yr post op from my RNY. Sometimes the plastic surgeons want you to be stable for a certain amount of time and/or a certain amount of time post op. That you'll have to dicuss with the your surgeon. You can talk to a PS now to get the ball rolling and then wait until you are where you want to be to have the surgery.

I called 6 PS offices on my search for a surgeon and only 1 out of the 6 charged for the consultation ... they charged $60. But if I went with that surgeon they would apply the $60 to my surgery. The surgeon I ended up choosing didn't charge a consultation fee and he did an awesome job.

Awesome...thanks so much.

Felicia

This is the information I have.  You can call to see if they have a reduced cost option.

University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Medicine Program

University of Nebraska

Plastic Surgery

983335 Nebraska Medical Center

Omaha, NE 68198                  

Perry  J. Johnson, MD 
(402)559-8363

(402)559-9513

http://www.unmc.edu/plasticsurgery/index.cfm?L1_ID=1&CONREF= 1

Thank you Red...I'll give them a call.  I also printed out the VA medical insurance application.  I don't know if I'll qualify or not, but it doesn't hurt to try.  Maybe I could get the VA to pick up some of my plastic surgery bill!  That would be cool! :D

Felicia

The VA would probably want you to use a VA facility.  The fastest way to access care is to go to one of the outpatient clinics with your DD214 and proof of household income.  They have relaxed the priority 8 requirements so more people qualify for care.  If you are applying for a service connected disability that can take several months to process but just seeing if you are eligible to receive care, that they should be able to tell you pretty quickly, if not immediately.  The VA system is like an HMO in that all your referrals and such have to originate with your PCP.

Good luck

Red

Thanks Red...it doesn't hurt to try.  I wonder what the income requirements are?  I don't have a service connected disability and am just trying to get coverage based on being a veteran.  I also have other insurance and wonder if that will hurt me or if the two insurances will work together?  I have finals this week, but next week I'll go down to the VA and give it a try.  Thanks again Red! :)  (what is priority 8?)

The priority refers to your status for receiving services.  The income levels and priority groups get a little confusing.  So it is best just to go in and talk to the eligibility people.   You can see a graph of the priority levels at:   http://www4.va.gov/healtheligibility/eligibility/PriorityGro upsAll.asp  .  There is an income calculator  at:   http://www4.va.gov/healtheligibility/apps/enrollmentcalculat or/index.asp  
But even if the income calculator indicates you are not eligible you should still register.  The income levels change over time and you never know when your cir****tances may change. 

I was able to access services without a service connected disability and my income did not count because I had used the VA prior to 2003 and I agreed to pay co-payments.  Trust me it was just a fluke.  I had used the VA a few times back in the 70's.  Back then as long as one was a veteran one could access care through the VA.  Then in 2000 I was in Miami on business and had to go to the emergency room.  Not really having a clue where to go -- I went to the VA.  It was that emergency room visit that secured my access. 

If you have insurance the VA can bill your insurance to recoup the cost of treating you.  The upside of this is that if you fall into one of the priority groups that has to pay a co-pay, the VA will count what they collect from your other insurance toward your co-payment.  Since the VA here does not work with Tricare -- I have to pay the co-pays.

It was somewhat ironic that for years I could access the VA and my DH who spent 20 years in the Air Force could not.  But we were over income and he had not accessed care prior to 2003 nor did he have a service connected disability.  Since then I have gotten him to apply for service connected disability and he was awarded 10% -- and that was enough to get him in.  But since he has medicare and tricare for life -- he really does not use the VA for very much.  Me on the other hand.  I like going to the VA.  I have gotten excellent primary care as well as my surgeries.   I had been using the VA pretty steady for a few years before asking for the referral.   

Red

I had at least 6 consultations and they all charged me a fee except 1.  I had consultations with 2 residency programs and they charged me $40 at one and $60 for the other.  The highest fee was $100.  I used a residency program in Houston and couldn't  be happier.  The attending physician is a board certified plastic surgeon and is very experienced.  I have seen a few photos of work done by residents and they looked they had used really good doctors.  In fact some even look better than some of the work I've seen by regular PS doctors.  Just do your research and go with what feels right for you.  No dr is perfect and a good dr will tell you that!

Thank you! :)