How to pay for lap band when insurance won't?

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maleficent said:
there are a lot of weight loss forums who's members are quite enabling.... and if you want to do 800 calories aday eating all chocolate chips all the time -they'll applaud you..a nd cheer you and won't care that that approach won't be successful long term...
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txsqlchick said:
I know enough to know that won't work, and I would say as much to someone who was doing that.
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For at least some values of "work," it certainly would. Heck, I did pretty much that as a teenager, and it certainly made it possible for me to sustain an otherwise-unsustainable low weight. If all you care about is the number on the scale, calories are calories. Is it the ideal way to go about weight loss? Heck, no. But not because it doesn't work for all values of "work."

And that's sort of the prevailing opinion here on WLS - that it works for a fairly limited set of values of "work," but isn't the ideal way to go about weight loss.
 
I've read this thread with much interest. I am as curious as Mal as to what benefit you believe you will get from the surgery. You are losing weight now and that is a good thing.

I also know of a couple of people who have gotten the band. Their weight loss has not been faster, nor has is been easier for them. Both are struggling to lose what they are losing.

The thing is, to lose the weight, they still have to eat healthy and exercise. One is still consuming a bunch of his calories in beer. They've tightened his band because he has not lost the weight. He spends time throwing up what he eats if it is too heavy. The beer seems to sit ok, or he just hasn't decided to drop it yet, so he continues to fight with his weight.

Neither can eat more than a few spoons full of food at a time, and yet they still struggle.

What I don't understand about the procedure, and maybe I don't know enough about it, but how do you figure that if you cannot eat the healthy foods now, that you suddenly will be able to after surgery? It hasn't seemed to happen for the one person above.

Whatever you decide, just keep this in mind. Without the surgery, if you decided to binge on cake or pizza or whatever, you can do that. You can go to parties and enjoy what everyone else is having. If you have the surgery. Sure you can try to binge on those things, but for the most part you probably won't be able to eat them without a lot of pain or throwing them up. You may feel left out, when others are having things you used to enjoy.

I'm not saying that'd you'd want to eat those things all the time, as you are trying to lose and maintain a different weight, but what do you do about special occasions?

And coming from one who's husband has to have a very strict diet, do to other health problems, believe me, most people won't even think to make accommodations for you and they will be irritated if you even suggest it. And his is do to a serious illness. They know that.

All anyone here on this forum wants for you, is for you to be happy and healthy.
 
bigdogmom said:
I've read this thread with much interest. I am as curious as Mal as to what benefit you believe you will get from the surgery. You are losing weight now and that is a good thing.

I also know of a couple of people who have gotten the band. Their weight loss has not been faster, nor has is been easier for them. Both are struggling to lose what they are losing.

The thing is, to lose the weight, they still have to eat healthy and exercise. One is still consuming a bunch of his calories in beer. They've tightened his band because he has not lost the weight. He spends time throwing up what he eats if it is too heavy. The beer seems to sit ok, or he just hasn't decided to drop it yet, so he continues to fight with his weight.

Neither can eat more than a few spoons full of food at a time, and yet they still struggle.

What I don't understand about the procedure, and maybe I don't know enough about it, but how do you figure that if you cannot eat the healthy foods now, that you suddenly will be able to after surgery? It hasn't seemed to happen for the one person above.

Whatever you decide, just keep this in mind. Without the surgery, if you decided to binge on cake or pizza or whatever, you can do that. You can go to parties and enjoy what everyone else is having. If you have the surgery. Sure you can try to binge on those things, but for the most part you probably won't be able to eat them without a lot of pain or throwing them up. You may feel left out, when others are having things you used to enjoy.

I'm not saying that'd you'd want to eat those things all the time, as you are trying to lose and maintain a different weight, but what do you do about special occasions?

And coming from one who's husband has to have a very strict diet, do to other health problems, believe me, most people won't even think to make accommodations for you and they will be irritated if you even suggest it. And his is do to a serious illness. They know that.

All anyone here on this forum wants for you, is for you to be happy and healthy.
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It would be easier for me if I was forced to eat a certain way, rather than simply had to use willpower. I'm weak. Someone going out for Mexican food? HELL YES. Pizza buffet? Count me in. Brother wants fried chicken? Let's go.

You guys say you want me to be happy and healthy, but I feel crapped on and chastised for pretty much everything I've said, and few people have said anything remotely encouraging.

I'm beginning to wonder what I'm doing wrong, since other newbies are getting lots of encouragement and I get shit. I guess it's not just that I'm losing weight and want help and support. I get this everywhere I go. I'm sick of being ignored and shit on.
 
I'm sorry if you feel that those of us sharing stories about real life people we know who have had the band makes you feel crapped on. All we want is for you to know what you would be getting yourself into.

I think you've done an awesome job with what you have lost so far. you only joined this month and you've already lost 12 lbs. That's amazing. That tells me you can make it all the way and you do have more will power than you think you do.

If you are waiting for someone to tell you "Go for the surgery, you'll love it, it's awesome" I can't do that. I haven't had the surgery and from the people I know who have, I don't want it. Ok, maybe I don't need it because I'm not as far over my mark, but getting to goal hasn't been any easier or I'd be there already.

We all struggle and we all choose different ways to deal with our struggle. Some op for surgery, some don't.

What I do find interesting, is that while there are threads and posters who have had some form of surgery, none have posted encouraging you to do the same.

Have you read the threads of those who have had some form of surgery? Do those posting sound like it something they would recommend?

I'm still waiting to hear what you think the surgery will do for you. That's not coming down on you, I am seriously interested to know.

I know that you can do this, it will take work, but you CAN do it!
 
I would say get a balloon!

No complications, costs much less, helps you for 6 months to learn how to eat properly, assisting you for that start.

I have lost 20kg already with my balloon, and after 2.5 months I dont feel it at all anymore. So eating is now contolled by me and not the balloon. If I do overeat I am going to be very uncomfortable, but I rarely overeat anymore.

I am excercizing for the first time in my life. So, I have already made several lifestyle changes.

The balloon is helping me. Giving me a kickstart of my 55 kg I have to loose. after the balloon is out, I will have to do it myself.

I dont regret the balloon for one day.
 
I am reading this topic quite a high interest and while most of the people are right, what I miss is to provide some solution to the person started this topic. May be I am sort of stupid here being a newbie but I would love to get a solution or a point to a solution based on the experiences of senior members here like Maleficent.

BTW, I am really impressed with this forum and hopefully become an active member here :)

Khurram.
 
karools said:
I would say get a balloon!

No complications, costs much less, helps you for 6 months to learn how to eat properly, assisting you for that start.

I have lost 20kg already with my balloon, and after 2.5 months I don't feel it at all anymore. So eating is now contolled by me and not the balloon. If I do overeat I am going to be very uncomfortable, but I rarely overeat anymore.

I am excercizing for the first time in my life. So, I have already made several lifestyle changes.

The balloon is helping me. Giving me a kickstart of my 55 kg I have to loose. after the balloon is out, I will have to do it myself.

I dont regret the balloon for one day.
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Hi Karools!

Balloon technology is quite new for me and its for the first time I have met a person with personal experience regarding it. Can you please explain what were the difficulties, pain, after-affects, cost, etc that you faced with respect to it?

Khurram.
 
Maleficent!

I have read in this topic that you have shed more than 200lbs which is quite impressive and to me its a BIG BIG achievement. Can you please share your experience about loosing weight? Or if you have already done that in some other topic, can you point me to it please?

Khurram.
 
I realize that the surgery is not appropriate for very many people, but for some it is. There is a program out there there that can save you a bunch of money, if you do choose that route. They can't also help with the cost of getting the extra skin taken care of after you have lost the weight. I never had the lap band, but I need the tummy tuck etc, after losing 100#. I'm working with them, and I'll save thousands. leave a message at 206-203-1259 if you want someone to call you about it.
 
Not sure how a phone call could possibly hurt

Why wouldn't you call a phone # on the web? All I can tell you is that the folks in that office are going to save me a LOT of money. If I wanted to spam the forum, I'd just give you the company name, web site, etc. I just wanted to let people know that there is a program that can help offset the cost for most people. If avoiding a phone call is worth a few grand to you, please don't call. As for the used car thing, I have no idea. That is just the voice mail for the office that helped me out.

However you see it, I hope this helps someone out.
 
txsqlchick said:
I understand the surgery isn't a magical cure, and I know it can cause complications and that it doesn't work for everyone. It can work for some people and it's not as drastic as gastric bypass (which I wouldn't consider) but with compliance it can be very effective.

I was just curious.

I'm kind of discouraged because this is the only thing I've posted where people have responded and it's been negative. I'm working out, watching what I eat, and losing weight so it's not like I'm sitting on the sofa munching Cheetos and expecting a miracle cure. :angelsad2:
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I realize some people have misconceptions about this surgery such as, why not just do it on your own if you have to change the way you eat. well yes that is true except... its a known fact when you try to do it on your own only a few people truly ever keep the weight off and then in fact, gain more than they lost. With lap band it controls your portion, make you full much faster drastically limited the amount of food your intaking and your body doesnt think its starving. I have lost 49 pounds so far with lap band and best decision i have ever made. I couldnt of done it without the band. Sure i would regret it too if i wasted all the money and continued to pig out on bad foods and didnt lose weight. It can be highly effective for those who have tried the normal means to lose weight. Regarding the surgery being 30k. there are so many surgeons out there doin it for half that cost or less. just look around until you find a price your comfy with. mine was 12.5 k. best money ever spent on myself. I wish you luck on your journey.
 
chicamam1 said:
I realize some people have misconceptions about this surgery such as, why not just do it on your own if you have to change the way you eat. well yes that is true except... its a known fact when you try to do it on your own only a few people truly ever keep the weight off and then in fact, gain more than they lost. With lap band it controls your portion, make you full much faster drastically limited the amount of food your intaking and your body doesnt think its starving. I have lost 49 pounds so far with lap band and best decision i have ever made. I couldnt of done it without the band. Sure i would regret it too if i wasted all the money and continued to pig out on bad foods and didnt lose weight. It can be highly effective for those who have tried the normal means to lose weight. Regarding the surgery being 30k. there are so many surgeons out there doin it for half that cost or less. just look around until you find a price your comfy with. mine was 12.5 k. best money ever spent on myself. I wish you luck on your journey.
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So, you couldn't have done it on your own. What will happen once the band gets removed then? You clearly haven't learned anything, you let the band do the work for you. Once it's out (and you will have to have it removed eventually), you will HAVE to do it on your own, otherwise you will gain the weight back in no time at all, and then some. Since the band doesn't 'teach' you how to eat properly (on the contrary) chances are very high that it was a waste of money (not to mention scars and all the health risks etc).

I disagree about 'trying to do it on your own'. Actually, it's a known fact that if you do it on your own, and do it right (meaning lifestyle change, not fad/crash diet) you are more likely to keep the weight down than any other way. You can have as many surgeries as you want, as long as you don't learn about nutrition, eat right, exercise and have the self control not to eat yourself silly, nothing will make you slim. Simple.
 
Well I would say count me in as a surgery supporter,
I am scheduled for a Lap-Band in January,

I have been struggling for 20 years with excess weight and skeletal issues, so everyones mileage varies.


In an effort actually answer the question there are a bunch of ways to finance weight loss surgery,

(I tried to post you a link but I havent posted enough to do that yet)


There are also a lot of options to take up if your insurance company does not cover it (i.e. appeals etc)

If you want to send me a private message I think I can give you some names and numbers to call.
 
San said:
So, you couldn't have done it on your own. What will happen once the band gets removed then? You clearly haven't learned anything, you let the band do the work for you. Once it's out (and you will have to have it removed eventually), you will HAVE to do it on your own, otherwise you will gain the weight back in no time at all, and then some.

I disagree about 'trying to do it on your own'. Actually, it's a known fact that if you do it on your own, and do it right (meaning lifestyle change, not fad/crash diet) you are more likely to keep the weight down than any other way. You can have as many surgeries as you want, as long as you don't learn about nutrition, eat right, exercise and have the self control not to eat yourself silly, nothing will make you slim. Simple.
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Ok. I've had the band and the band never has to get removed - in fact it very rarely is removed. Bands are placed every day and there is a very low complication rate. For those of us that are or were morbidly obese we didnt' get there because we liked food. We got there because we had an addiction and/or we never felt satiated.

The band helps people feel satiated faster. Yes, you can cheat the band and not get regular fills but the band enables people who want to lose weight to lose weight.

If you are afraid you will not be able to control your eating and you have to eat bad foods then bypass is probably the surgical option for you. These are all only options after dieting has been tried. In fact, my insurance company made me undergo a supervised diet for 6 months before the surgery.

Everyone who is overweight has been struggling with their weight for years and we have all tried diets. Losing weight saves lives (heart disease, diabetes, etc.). Oh and did you know that the lap band and gastric bypass almost always cure diabetes?

I think self control is nice in theory but it rarely works. What has worked (and if you read other forums you will see others results) is surgery. It worked for me.

In answer to the original question, you may consider changing jobs or checking out the different insurance policies within your company. PPO's tend to cover weight loss surgery. If you check a site called obesitycoverage.com and type in your insurance or the insurance that is offfered at a job you are looking at you get an email back stating whether or not wls is covered.

You said, 'Actually, it's a known fact that if you do it on your own, and do it right (meaning lifestyle change, not fad/crash diet) you are more likely to keep the weight down than any other way.'
Its also a known fact if you consume less calories than you expend then you will lose weight - that is what the band did for me.

Good luck and I applaud those willing to truly look into other options and not just say pure will power will make me lose weight.


Tasha
 
the original poster has lost over 45lbs without having some foreign object thrown into her body... She's been very successful on her own
 
tx is still an active member here I'd be really curious to know if - knowing what she knows now - and seeing the results that she's seen by doing it on her own - if she would still have considered the surgery...
 
Ok, obviously we have a few "know it all's" here, yes?

I have the very same problem with no health coverage for a lap band.
However, for the folks that think they know everything, should know That I am 52 years old woman.
I come from a morbidly obese family, I not only have the obesity gene I have to fight, I also have memmories of food, and the way my family ate. I weigh 340 lbs, And yes I have lost an enormous amount of weight also, only once, 120 lb's to be exact. Try doing that more then once, and you tell me how that feels hmm? And yes the weight came right back on.
I've tried every diet I could think of, with no success. I have many health problems, the first being Hepatitis c, I contacted it 25+ years ago. I am now at end stage liver cirrosis. Along with this comes many complications. My failing liver causes hypo-thyroid disease, diabetes, energy so low I can barely walk. I'm basically a hemophiliac from my low platelete count, since my liver does clean out toxins from my body ie; digested protein and all the drugs I am taking to keep alive, cause a high level of Amonia in my system which destroys brain cells. I could go on...
However, I can not have a liver transplant unless I weigh 175 lbs. I have tried so hard, but with my seditary life style the weight won't come off.
I'm a proud woman, and I just recently came to the conclusion that I needed help, not an easy thing for me to ask for, sigh.
It will all be for nothing, since my health insurance doesn't cover it.
So.. I guess I just die.
I don't get these insurance companies, it would be far cheaper to help morbidly obese people in the long run, because of all the complications, other then the Cirrosis. Depression, diabetes, higher risk of cancer, heart disease, hipertension, cardio vascular disease, I'm sure I'm forgetting many more.
I would love to see one of these negative people walk in my shoes, Oh I'll be nice; an hour would be all it would take for you "get it".
 
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Ya know....I'm sorry for your health problems. And the insurance industry as a rule is amazingly ignorant. I agree...in the end it would be WAY better for them to help pay for certain things than deal with the end result. Last year, i thought my husband was going to die. We took him to the ER many a times just to be turned down b/c lack of insurance....so i've been there. Thank you God for keeping him alive and he's since recovered since that insident.

With that being said....I don't understand the negativity in your tone. This is your 1st post and the 1st sentence is slamming all of us "smarty pants". Also, I feel the need to point out there is no "fat gene". While people born into obese families also tend to be obese, its not because of any gene....its b/c of the way you were fed growing up.

So you lost 120lbs??? Thats amazing! But why did you choose to go off of your diet? I don't think its any member of the board that needs to "get it" Hunny, we've all been there...thats why we are on a weight loss forum. Maybe you need to stop making excuses??

Any of those 'negative people' that spoke out against the surgery, do so b/c they have lost the weight without the surgery. It is possible....as you know being that you lost 120lbs once on your own. Do some research about weight loss surgeries....ever since those have come into play, this country as a whole has started to become the fattest in the world. I know TONS of people who have had that surgery (my mother had it 3 times!) but they gain the weight back....why??? b/c weight loss is in your mind. You DO have the power to lose!! Even at your age...even with the diseases. I didnt' see anything that should keep you from losing. You need to own up the the choices you make and take responsibility for that.
 
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