How to Pay for Surgery That Health Insurance Doesn't Cover
- 1). Determine what the actual costs of the entire procedure are going to be. Include doctors' fees, hospital fees, the cost of the anesthesiologist, and any other costs that are billed separately. Explain to the hospital that you'll be paying for the surgery yourself. Ask for discounts---many doctors and hospitals will offer substantial discounts for people who pay in cash.
- 2). Create a budget based on the costs after all discounts have been applied. Ask the hospital and doctor if they have a payment plan option. If not, see if any of your personal resources will be able to cover the final costs before seeking a loan. Some options include retirement savings, nest eggs, home equity lines of credit and credit cards. Evaluate the impact of using these resources versus obtaining a traditional loan, considering interest rates, your age, etc.
- 3). Discuss the payment plan with the doctor and hospital. Let them know how you plan on paying for the surgery and find out what options are available to you. For example, find out if the surgery must be paid for in full before or if you can make payments. Sometimes the hospital will take payments, but the doctor will want her fees in full before performing the surgery.
- 4). Schedule the surgery once all payment issues are taken care of, either with a loan, by using personal resources, or through a payment plan.
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