WISH Self-pays, what is up with this?

Hi! Well, things have been going fabulously for me, and I have been totally enamoured of the WISH Center. Then tonight I get home from a 13-hour workday to a BILL from them, stating that I owe like $180 for my 2-week post-op visit. WTF?!?!?! When I shelled out my $23,000 for the surgery, I was told, and it is in writing, that LIFETIME post-op support is included in that hefty payment. So I don't get it!!! I am so upset right now because it is late and I can't call and rant at anyone there. So I am venting on you guys. Has anyone else had such a bill? I sure hope this is a mistake. Otherwise, why would I go to ANY more post-op visits? This is insulting. All of you know how hard it is to do this surgery thing, with the aftermath and the lifestyle changes. This is like the straw that broke my camel's back, you know? Please,someone, write to me and tell me that this bill is a mistake so that I can sleep tonight. Thank you so much, friends.

I hope you get everything worked out with the WISH Center and that the extra bill was just a snafu!! Good Luck!!! Cindy in Wenatchee

Christina, I too was self pay through the Wish Center. As I understood it, your entire 1st yr. should be included in the initial payment, uless there is complications not included, as with my leaky incision that I had to pay to get fixed about 6 mo. post op. I can't believe they are trying to bill you for your 2 wk. check-up. I would bet that is a mistake on there part. Or it should be. And if Renton can't get it straightened out, you should contact their corporate office in Chicago. I had some stressfull experiences with them early on in my journey, but after contacting the top dog, it was cleared up, and I even recieved two job proposals from Chicago. Can you believe that? I stilll think I made the right decision to have WLS through the Wish Center. Dr. A was wonderful. I'm 15 months post op and down 134#s. Good luck to you, and don't give up, You've paid enough.... Hilda

Update: I was right, I don't have to pay that bill. I had to call the Chicago office to talk to some guy who sounded drunk on the phone, like he'd had a wild night and was no mood to be there today! Anyway, it took some talking, but he finally understood that I was a self-pay and that I'd already paid everything. Phew! The whole phone call had me so worried. Thanks for letting me vent here! To future WISH Center self-pays: don't let this scare you away! The WISH Center is an awesome program, and I love it! Just be persistent with the office if snafus come up like this! -Chris -35 lbs

Sonya congratulations on your weight loss....you look gorgeous. I am likewise considering the WISH center after finding out they take medicare but need to know how much would be out of pocket for me. Deborah

I am a medical biller/coder and even though this is resolved I wanted to post some general info should anyone else need it. There is this thing after procedures called a global period. Some have 0 days, some have 10 the major ones have a 60 day global period. The idea is that all of your post op care provided during that period outside of some supplies and anything they can call unrelated are bundled into the cost of the procedure. This should go for self pay and I can say that if that visit had been billed to an insurance company without a diagnosis of something other than post op care it would have been denied. My best advice is stay on top of your bills as best you can while recovering and also keep all insurance EOBs as they arrive and make sure the statements match. It sounds like common sense stuff but I see all kinds of stuff that makes me wonder! BTW-if anyone needs helping sorting out insurance issues or things like that I'm available and only an email away. (I get kicks out of catching the insurances in their multitude of errors and making them do what we pay them dearly to do!) Insurance companies Deb