Question:
Do all surgeons require $4500 over what insurance covers?

My husband is blind and we live on a S.S. Check, I received the information from a bariatric center and they require $4500 up front for follow up care. Are all centers like this?    — Kathleen M. (posted on September 12, 2001)

September 12, 2001
Try other surgeons. I was very fortunate that my insurance covered everything except ten dollars that I had to pay to the hospital for the phone in my room. My surgeon did not require anything above what the insurance to paid him. Please talk to other surgeons. Best of luck to you.
   — [Anonymous]

September 12, 2001
I agree, try another surgeon. If you are recieving medicare or something like that. I don't think they can charge you more than what the govt. pays. Just my guess, but I would check on it.
   — K T.

September 12, 2001
No. I never heard of that. I have many WLS friends and no one that I know personally has ever had to pay over like that....
   — Cathy J.

September 12, 2001
I think someone asked this question a few weeks ago. The sentiment is the same, find another surgeon.
   — Kristin R.

September 12, 2001
Many surgeons do charge an additional "program fee" above and beyond what insurance covers. Many surgeons do not. If there are no other surgeons nearby, you may need to measure the cost of the program fee against the costs which may be involved to travel to another surgeon who does not charge the fee. -Kate-
   — kateseidel

September 13, 2001
Just the greedy ones............. Ooops, this is just another way the obese are exploited as these doctors know how desperate many of us are to have this operation. so they package this overpriced gouging in the disguise of a follow up program and scare tactics and ultimatums; is this fee prorated if you live out of state or a distance form the doctor? If insurance won't cover it but they do cover the operation itself, watch out. I think if anyone researched they would find this to be ludicrous. People have heart transplants, quadruple bypasses, amputations, and other extremely invasive operations and I have not heard of a doctor charging them thousands of dollars for continuous care!!!!!!!!! Post op visits are included in the price of the operation, at least once or twice. And that is all you really need to see the surgeon for anyway. If there are problems, office visits can be billed on an as needed basis. Program fees are unethical and a red flag in my book. Flee!!!!!!!!!!! I don't care how good the doctor's reputation is, either, this charge is disgraceful. Nobody died and left me boss, this is all just my opinion and food for thought..............They get away with it because they have this cavalier attitude that if you don't come, there are many more who will, look how long it takes to get an appointment with some of these guys, months, so they can thumb their noses. These doctors are in business and there are unscrupulous physicians just like there are unscrupuolous contractors. Doesn't make their behavior illegal but reprehensible, none the less.
   — Fran B.

October 16, 2002
Digestive Disease Centers of America arranged all the financing and negotiated a $1500.00 addition for the surgeon Insurance BX only paid $1500.00 The Surgeons fee was $7,000.00 but John at DDCA negotiated it down to $3000.00
   — John W.