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[John Fatbegone]

Well, all the bills are in and the final cost for my RNY procedure came to $100,881.65. .  I only had to pay $1,100.00. Do we live in a great country or what? Of course, under the new incoming health care system with the death panels, my procedure would  be denied because I would be considered too old to be able to make an adequate contribution to society within my remaining life expectancy. Glad I did it now. At 75 years of age, I feel as if I am starting a whole new life.

[Superfreaky]

Wow!   I think my surgery was 24K or something like that.  That is an incredible number of dollars.

[auntb]

Mine was 23,000. I know I had to pay half - well am still paying half.

[John Fatbegone]

My hospital bill alone, for the OR and a two day stay was $74,472.96. The surgeons bill for the operation was $6000. The rest was for tests prior to the surgery in order to qualify and for other Drs. during the procedure. (It was done laproscopically and robotically).

[MacMadame]

It's all funny money though.

Self-pay for RnY for my surgeon is 23,000-ish and we live in a high Cost of Living area. So you figure the real cost of RnY is probably 20000-30000 depending on where you live and how efficient the hospital is.

They bill way higher than that knowing that insurance pays pennies on the dollar. It's a screwy system if you ask me!

[AmberInSweden]

My goodness...

You're certainly lucky to have health care in the US.  Of course, in typical health insurance style, it sounds like they padded your insurance costs.  You have to love those $25 Tylenol.   

Where I live, with that scary socialized medicine, it cost me $12 and that was just what they call a "hotel charge" for the hospital stay.  The surgery is free.  The tests are free.  The anesthesia is free.  All the post-op vitamins, aside from the multi, are prescribed and you only pay a maximum of $270 a year for all your prescriptions, combined.  The Loxanox shots alone were $135.  That's half of my yearly copay right there.   And no one gets turned down, including based on age. In fact, they seek those with qualifying BMIs.  Doctors suggest WLS right away.   Oh, and plastics are covered.

I was denied twice in the US because of insurance exclusions and once for the inability to put down a $5000 deposit on my surgery. 

I have lived with the self-pay insurance in the US.  I have lost my insurance because of losing a job.  I have had to deal with those crappy opt-out options of US healthcare, which is the number 1 industry in the US.  Trust me, guaranteed good health coverage is far better.  I would say you could brag about your country's "great" health care if every man woman and child was covered. 

And there is no such thing as death panels.  That was a Sarah Palin talking point from three years ago and it was proven to be completely misleading.  Current US health care has what amounts to death panels in the people they hire to comb through claims to find ways to deny you. 

[shepkatt]

Hey Amber.. How goes it!?  :-)

Question for you on this:  All the post-op vitamins, aside from the multi, are prescribed

But are they vitamins especially for bariatric patients?  I remember chatting with you about this waaaaay back when you were first looking into surgery.. or at least when you first joined BTV..    Did you find out good info on that front?

[AmberInSweden]

Hey there

Thanks for asking!  I am doing well.  I bounced back like a champ.  My energy still isn't quite 100%, but I have no pain at all and I've lost 35 pounds in the 8 weeks pre and post-op.  Some days I am really sick of food and don't want to eat, but I manage.  lol 

They are not specific Bariatric vitamins, but they aren't available here at all.  Unless I ship them internationally, I have to go with regular vitamins.  I can't find Calcium citrate here.  I buy a bariatric multi that my mom ships to me, and there's a prescribed sublingual B-12, but my iron and calcium are just the typical variety.  We're watching my labs closely and if changes are needed, they tweak it. 

[lesliethequeen]

Glad you are doing so well, Amber. You sound downright PERKY!

My costs were much like John's - $74,000 for the hospital - at least that's what they charged. Their agreed payment from the insurance was much less. So far, I have been charged $89 dollars from the doctor...not bad...

Of course, my husband was in the Marine Corps for 20 years and this is one of the only privileges he got out of it. (Though, we loved the military life) We have great health care. And considering that Rob has had 4 major surgeries in the last five years and five hospital stays, we have been very lucky. Add that to my surgery, and we are lucky, LUCKY people.

[Indykitty]

Geesh! I wanna move to Sweden!  Know anybody that wants to hire an American new MBA with a concentration in accounting? Don't speak any other languages other than a few words of Spanish and Dutch. My fiance is in the Netherlands, so I'm trying to learn... whew is it ever tough! 

[shepkatt]

Amber..  Dang on the calcium piece..  have you tried contacting Bariatric Advantage to see what their plans are for Sweden?  I know they are moving big time into markets in other countrys.

[Shrinking Jody]

I think my total cost came to somewhere around $65,000, but I'm thinking if you personally paid, it wouldn't be that much. I hope so, a good friend of mine called me last night and had the mment of truth. I am going with her to an information session at my bariatric center this Saturday (her timing could not have been more perfect). Her insurance won't cover the cost, so I hope they can help her out.

[kelannsmi69]

My surgery cost $17,000 my copay picked up $11,000 and my hubbys insurance picked up the rest.  I thought that was outrageous.  I love my copay.