Question:
Can anyone give me examples of self-pay final costs?

If you have self-paid can you share with me your final total cost? Also, I've read that some people have all complications included in the initial payment? How does that work if you had that experience? Thanks for any and all info.    — [Anonymous] (posted on October 13, 2001)

October 13, 2001
When I thought mine was going to be self-pay, I was quoted 16,000.00 for the whole thing, hospital and all. Hope this helps. Oh and it was due in full one month prior to surgery.
   — Karen R.

October 13, 2001
Dr. Fallang in Middletown ohio charges - 5500.00 surgeon fee. 11500.00 hospital fee and 583.00 Anestia. If you have a bad gallbladder have him take it out and it will be split billing. In which case the hospital fee will be considerably less, no anethia fee either. Good luck.
   — [Anonymous]

October 18, 2001
Hi, I am post op 3 wks. I paid the surgeon 3600 for the rny, 880 for the gallbladder, the hospital was 7000 and anesthesia was 878 that was it. Grand total 12358.00
   — Michelle F.

January 28, 2002
I can tell you what happend to me : I had insurance : I need to jump through their hoops before they would approve my surgery : I had to give all my medical records to them, then prove I was on a wieghtloss program for 5 years, and get a pschy eval done, then they approved me...I only had my copays and deductables to pay not bad right....right...so I had my surgery, and then my insurance only payed 2500 and I ended up with a self pay of $38,000...yes I fought the insurance with the insurance commision, but they said they did what the policy stated, regardless of what was said to me...so I now owe that money, so I called the BTC and told them from the beginning once I got the bill, that I was fighting my insurance, but if I had to pay the payments, I could only do 20.00 a month, because if I was not approved in the first place, and had to pay, I would not be able to afford it...I will probably be turned in to the credit beaur, but I cant pay anything else, I told them, plase dont have your supervisors call me and try to get more money, because if I had it, I would give it to you....so far I have not heard anything, but I am sure its not going to be acceptable the amount I am paying, but I cannt do anything more...it sucks, I am about 6.5 months post op, and I have to deal with this stuff....self pays suck..
   — Melody N.

January 29, 2002
I am a self-pay patient and my total cost was $14,850.00 for open RNY, 4 day hospital stay, and pre-op testing. I had my surgery done in Shreveport, LA by Dr. Kenneth Jones. Hospital was Christus Schumpert Medical Center. Very nice hospital and wonderful surgeon.
   — Melinda A.

January 29, 2002
I am 7 wks. post-op from an open VBG. My insurance would not cover my surgery due to a written policy exclusion in our contract. I suppose I could have tried to fight them but figured in the long run it might cost as much to fight it as it would to pay for it myself, guess I'll never know. Anyway, the total costs for the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and the hospital was $11,915.00. My husband and I took out a loan from the bank. Would I do it again? Yep....
   — esthjb