How to Pay for Surgery Health Insurance Doesn't Cover

Surgery is an expensive proposition, and the health insurance company's goal is to find ways to avoid footing the bill at all costs. Where you are denied coverage due to medically unnecessary surgery or operations outside the scope of your coverage, steps need be taken to find ways to pay for the operation if it is truly needed. While it can be difficult to find money for surgery that is not covered by health insurance, it is not impossible.

Instructions

• 1

  Speak with an individual in the hospital's billing department to discuss the possibility of setting up a payment plan for the operation. A payment plan will function much like a private loan, as you will be asked to only make smaller monthly payments with a reasonable interest fee. This can easily make otherwise unaffordable surgeries accessible, as the cost will be split over a longer time frame.

• 2

  Talk to a bank about the potential for obtaining a private loan to finance the cost of surgery. If you have substantial assets, such as a home or a vehicle that you own free and clear, the bank may be able to use those items as collateral to cover the cost of the loan. Where financing the operation is a possibility, you will want to consult with both a bank and with the hospital to see who offers more competitive interest rates.

• 3

  Consider the possibility of applying for a grant or other type of financial aid if the surgery is non-elective and your financial situation leaves you in a desperate position. Speak with the hospital's financial aid department to determine whether there are any government or private organizations, such as Medicare, that can help to cover the cost of the operation.

• 4

  Speak to individuals in your community about setting up a fundraiser to help generate money to pay for the operation. While this would obviously be in poor taste if the goal is cosmetic surgery or another elective procedure, the community might be willing to lend its support where the need is more dire.