How to Pay for Lapband Surgery

Obesity is becoming an epidemic in the United States and people are willing to try many different invasive procedures to lose weight and help their health. One of the popular choices is having the lap-band procedure to constrict the amount of food that can be in the stomach. But paying for such a procedure can be difficult.

Instructions

Paying for Lap-Band Surgery

• 1

  Find the best price. According to lapband.com, the surgery can cost anywhere from $12,000 to $25,000, depending on the city and state where you are having the procedure. You should consult several doctors in several areas to get the best price for the surgery. The lower the price, the less daunting it is to pay.

• 2

  Talk to your insurance provider. Many insurance companies will cover all or a portion of the cost of lap-band surgery if you are considered obese enough that it may endanger your health. You should contact your health provider and discuss the options available to you before scheduling the surgery.

• 3

  Save up your money. If you are willing to wait until you have saved enough, then you can slowly accumulate the money in a savings account or CD. You can also contact the place where you plan to have the surgery and see if you can provide a portion of the money upfront and provide the rest on a monthly basis after the surgery.

• 4

  Get a loan. Lenders such as National City and Capital One have been known to provide loans to people for lap-band surgery. You should shop around and see what agency has the best rates. Depending on your credit score, you may need to have some sort of collateral in order to get a loan for this purpose.

• 5

  Deduct it from your taxes. You can deduct your medical expenses from your income tax and get a bigger income tax refund. The money that you pay during the year can be deducted from what you owe the government. This may not directly help you pay for the surgery, but it is something you can take into consideration when you are deciding how to pay for it.