Do any surgeons offer payment plans?

[beastcoast]

Is this a common thing? I maintain a steady income, but I'm also a college student, and therefore I never have more than a thousand bucks or so sitting around that can be used. I have been itching to get rid of my gyno for years now, but at 6,000 dollars, surgery seems so unattainable. I live in Maine, and I would really like to have my gyno performed on by Rick Silverman who does great work out of Mass. I tried contacting him to ask about this but I haven't heard back yet. I'd be willing to travel, but I'm looking for a surgeon who deals almost exclusively with gyno, as my case is rather minor. Has anyone heard of such a thing?

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

I can't speak for other surgeons but I can speak for myself.

I do not personally offer financing for my patient.  However, I do work with several companies (Care Credit, in particular) who offer financing for surgery.  You can apply for this loan in complete privacy online or over the phone.  The interest rates aren't great but they beat credit card interest rates.  And there are some plans that offer interest free financing if the loan is paid back in full within 6 months.  Obviously you will need decent credit -- if you have a steady job, that would be great.  If you are a student without any steady source of income, then you may require a co-signer (a parent, for example).

Hope this helps.

Dr Jacobs

[beastcoast]

Thank you Dr. Jacobs. According to a calculator provided on their website, a 5800 dollar surgery can be repaid over the course of 24 months @ 281 per month (among other options). This sounds quite reasonable for me.

[Dr. Elliot Jacobs]

Just for completeness as regards payment:

Many patients ask if I accept insurance.  Unfortunately, many insurance companies consider gyne surgery as "cosmetic" surgery and refuse to pay.  In rare circumstances when insurance does cover the surgery, their reimbursement in no way compensates me for my time, expertise and expenses.  If I ran my practice by accepting insurance, I would be out of business -- almost immediately.

In extremely rare circumstances, a patient may send letters to their insurance company -- appeal after appeal -- and may secure pre-approval from the company.  Unfortunately, this is still no guarantee that the company will provide reimbursement nor will it provide information as to the amount of the anticipated reimbursement.  This is a minefield. There have been instances when pre-approval was granted and then reimbursement subsequently denied.

Therefore I, as most surgeons in this field, require full pre-payment for surgery.  Some patients can pay -- and others arrange for some sort of private funding, loans, etc.

However, as a courtesy to my patients, I will submit an insurance claim for my professional services as well as for the facility fee, to the patient's insurance company after the surgery.  And sometimes, surprisingly, there is reimbursement. The patient will then be reimbursed for up to what they paid.

In circumstances when a patient has absolutely no funds and no credit and is adamant about having surgery, I will recommend that they visit the Plastic Surgery Clinic at a major teaching hospital nearby which houses a Plastic Surgery training program.  There, a resident surgeon in Plastic Surgery will evaluate them and if deemed acceptable for surgery, gyne surgery can be done (usually at minimal cost) by the resident under the supervision of a senior surgeon.  Be aware, however, this is a far cry from consulting an experienced plastic surgeon who is, furthermore, an expert in gyne surgery.  The results may or not be what you expect.

Dr Jacobs

[Dr. Schuster]

Many surgeons participate with different financing programs, Care Credit being the most popular. Call Dr. Silverman's office and ask to speak to the office manager.Good luck.