The Cost of Medical Care

In order to get my insurance to pay for my lapband, I had to jump through a number of hoops. I had to see a clinical psychologist who had to certify I was not a psychotic schizo in quest for the next new medical procedure, I had to go on a 6-month physician supervised diet/exercise/behavior modification program where I could not gain weight, I could stay the same or lose but not gain, I had to have another co-morbidity condition like diabetes or high blood pressure or heart problems, etc. (I have sleep apnea, which considering the other choices was the best) and basically I had to sign my soul away that I would be a good candidate for a lapband and do everything that I was told. After jumping through all the hoops, I was denied twice and going in for the final round where they get nationwide Regence folk to listen to your appeal. Luckily I was able to forgo that step because an independent reviewer looked at my case and said, "She did everything, give her the lapband." And they had to comply.

So many people ask me, "How much does it cost to get a lapband." I said about $13,000. But when I was mentioning it on the day of my surgery to the check-in guy, he raised his thumb and said, "much much more." So I have been anxiously waiting to see what the cost for my lapband really was and yesterday I got I believe all the bills, not sure, don't know if there is a separate hospital bill, if there is, then for sure it will raise the price a lot higher. Also when I went to the seminar about lapbands, they said that the lapband itself is $3,000, so I will look and see, but for right now, I am giving you the huge dispartiy between what it costs and what the insurance paid. David was with me when I got the mail and he told a story about a mammagraphy clinic that has two doors, one for insured clients and one for pay as you go. He said the insured door is pretty generic, you wait for your mammogram, you undress and get one of those cotton unfashionable open ended hospital gowns, the lab technician does the work and says you'll get the results in a week or so. On the pay as you go, there is no waiting, you get a fluffy white bathrobe, exquisite attention, the doctor talks to you, after the mammogram, he comes back and goes over the results with you. The cost for the insured was $100, the cost for the payer was $600. Now of course, that is totally hearsay, but here is the reality from my bills.

My doctor charged $9,600 for taking care of me, but the insurance has negotiated at $2183.90 cost of which I paid nothing (yeah), the attending surgical nurse charged $2400 but Regence only paid $327.59. and the anestheologist (this is why they are the highest paid medical professionals) charged $1520 and received $1168.50. So if I had had to pay out of pocket it would have cost me $13,520 and I might have gotten the fluffly robe, but Regence paid $3,679,99 and I was happy with my cotton, wide open frock. When I realized how little it cost them to give me what I feel is a great blessing, I admit I was a bit miffed at how much work I had to go through to get it. I mean I think the cost of delivering my babies was higher and I had Alexa at home! So you can see my frustration. However, David says with the Obama plan there will no longer be a cap on your lifetime maximum and you can't be denied for pre-existing conditions, to which I said, "it very well maybe the end of clinical care as we know it, or the profession will have to wise up and start allowing more people to go to medical school." So whichever turns out, I'm grateful I had the surgery when I did and happy that I have insurance!