Question:
Are there any org. or agencies that provide grants or loans for co-pays?

I have insurance approval for my upcoming surgery. I have to pay about $1800. before my surgery will be scheduled and I don't have it at this time. I'm working, so I know I can save for it, but it will take probably five to six months. I have several medical conditions that necessitate me having this surgery asap. They are, diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea, diabetic neuropathy, (which has caused chargot injuries in my left foot and ankle, for which I have to wear a brace and special shoes. I have almost constant pain in my hips, lower back, legs, feet, and sides due to the excess weight I carry (350+). Having to wait another six months may not be the best idea for me. Tell me if you know of any groups or agencies that give loans for co-pay fees for this type surgery?    — CWalters (posted on March 28, 2005)

March 28, 2005
hi christina. I am having my surgery done at Barix clinics and if your out of pocket is less than $5000, they let you pay it out AFTER your surgery. Maybe an option you can check into. best of luck! Jan
   — Jan I.

March 28, 2005
Hey Christina, if you have access to a credit card that would be a way to do it. Many times the interest is not as high as it would be if you had recieved a loan. From time to time companies send solicitations by mail offering little or no interest for the 1st year. That's how I was going to pay for mine if I hadn't been blessed with some ins coverage. Hope this helps! God Bless <><
   — Jodi L.

March 29, 2005
Christina, this may sound harsh, but its really not meant to be. We all need this surgery ASAP. We all have medical conditions that require we have it immediately. The sad truth is the process takes a while. We all had some type of co-pay to try to come up with. Some people find out at the last minute they have to do a 6-month diet program. The way I see it, we didn't put the weight on overnight and the surgery won't happen overnight. When a person starts this journey they always get a bad case of impatience which doesn't help the process because you start getting stressed when things don't happen right away. I hope you get your financial problem solved and wish you the best...just don't stress over it too much.
   — Patty.W

March 29, 2005
If all you have to come up with is $1800 then you are really lucky and with that little of an amount if you have a bank you do business with maybe you can get a signature loan or just a small loan. My friend had to pay $3000 just to the surgeon for co-pay and that did not include all the other co-pays for the hospital and lab work.
   — nefish

March 30, 2005
If you have a car that is paid off or paid down, you may be able to refinance it to get the $1800. Like some others said, a credit card can work too. Don't do a cash advance, just have them charge it through as a normal charge and that will keep the interest rate the lowest. While cc's are not tge best idea I have a significant amount of my PS on credit cards which are at anywhere from 0% to about 7%. I did not want to refinance my car as it is at 0%. I paid quite a bit in cash but did not have it all. <p>Ask family for a loan, but make sure you put it in writing and fully expect to pay it back with interest. While normally the thinking is never loan money to family, certainly for a live saving procedure as WLS I would and I know my family would lend to me. I was not going to ask to borrow from them for PS though, as the critical things were covered by insurance and what I paid for were things that needed to be done but things I could have lived without if necessary. <p>Think creatively. Just be sure that $1800 is the full amount you will need. Is this just a deposit with the surgeon in case your insurance doesn't fully cover and you may get some or all of it back, or is it you must pay and it is gone? What about the hospital and anesthesiologist - are they going to ask for money up front also? You want to make sure you know what the total responsibility is so that you know how much you need. Good Luck!
   — zoedogcbr