Creating a positive patient experience isn’t always the priority for bariatric clinics. This is a sentiment that is echoed by many patients who have been “through the system.” Many patients are left feeling like they were taken advantage of using outrageous charges both during and after their stays. It’s important to understand what could be hidden within your care plan when calculating the true cost of seeking bariatric surgery in a place like the United States.
Unfortunately, with medical tourism in Mexico, there are many centers who don’t include take-home medications with their package. Before you schedule with any center, it’s important to determine what is included with bariatric surgery. Please note for any successful bariatric surgery, take-home medications are required.
Why Surprise Costs Are Common at Bariatric Clinics
Sadly, many clinics will itemize all kinds of “surprise” charges for patients. One of the big surprises that many bariatric patients in the United States discover is that they are being charged for take-home medications used to stabilize their health or ease pain. The truth is that it’s hard to understand charges when you’re in the vulnerable postoperative state. As a result, you may be incurring charge after charge with every “convenience” a hospital or clinic offers you.
Why do some bariatric centers charge for take-home medication? The simple answer is that they don’t offer an all-inclusive pricing model. These clinics benefit from charging you for every single service, device, and medication at an inflated rate. When an all-inclusive pricing model isn’t used for bariatric surgery, the patient is left to guess how much they will actually pay for everything needed for their recovery.
Understanding Bariatric Surgery Pricing
When American bariatric clinics create cost estimates, they are merely giving an idea of what you can expect to pay for the surgical procedure.
It’s rare for these clinics to provide itemized cost lists before surgery. In fact, final costs are not tallied until after surgery in most cases. Patients only learn how much they will be expected to pay after the surgery has taken place.
In some cases, doctors leave medication out of the pricing formulation because state laws limit the amount of medication they can prescribe. These doctors might take a “wait and see” approach that provides a prescription only when a patient complains of pain or discomfort. Another reason why many bariatric doctors and clinics don’t fold the cost of take-home medications into surgical costs is because they have no idea how much these medications actually cost. In the American system, doctors typically aren’t familiar with the price for healthcare (testing, medications, surgery). Prices for medications are often negotiated by insurance companies and Medicare.
Understanding Bariatric Surgery Pricing in Mexico
The bariatric centers advertising for US and Canadian patients don’t include take-home medications because they are trying to keep their “base” costs low. By keeping their base cost low, they can mislead patients when comparing bariatric centers in Mexico. This works because once patients are scheduled and payed their deposit, it can be hard to switch providers without losing the deposit.
The bottom line is that some Mexican bariatric centers are simply not motivated to provide take-home medications for free because their pricing models rely on itemized charges for every individual service provided. This can be extremely frustrating for patients who are trying to budget the cost of surgery. Is there a better way? Out of care and concern for patients, some bariatric centers provide all-inclusive pricing. These flat-rate surgical practices ensure that patients are never stuck with surprise costs.
Bariatric Surgery Packages From Renew Bariatrics
Renew Bariatrics offers a world-class experience for weight-loss surgery in Mexico. We offer all-inclusive pricing that includes consultations and exams, surgery, anesthesia, a recovery stay, and medication. When patients travel to Mexico to have bariatric surgery performed by one of our highly trained surgeons, they can choose from gastric sleeve, gastric sleeve, and duodenal switch procedures. If you’re looking for a low-cost option for bariatric surgery, it’s important to know that Mexico is one of the world’s leading destinations for medical tourism and bariatric procedures.
In addition to offering all-inclusive packages that make it easy to budget for your surgery, Renew Bariatrics offers lower costs for the same exact procedures performed in the United States and Canada. While a gastric sleeve procedure can cost anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 in the United States, a patient getting this procedure done in Mexico will start at $4600 for a package that includes preoperative exams, a one-night stay at a recovery center, and all follow-up care. Additionally, financing is available for patients traveling to Mexico for bariatric surgery.
The bottom line is that bariatric centers in the United States charge patients separately for consultations, exams, surgery, recovery services, and medications. They also don’t advertise prices for any of the services they provide.
If you’re looking for a way to afford bariatric surgery, consider booking an all-inclusive medical vacation to Tijuana to be cared for by an acclaimed team of surgeons and healthcare providers. Join the thousands of people who have found a way around the high, unpredictable costs of bariatric surgery by traveling to Mexico for world-class care. Get a quote today!
