More than half of Australians have private health insurance (health.gov.au), but that also means that almost half of the population doesn’t. Of those that do, many may not have the sufficient level of insurance to cover a procedure like bariatric surgery (included within the Gold tier policies).
Public hospitals account for about 2% of bariatric surgery cases in NSW, and waiting times are usually many many years. With very limited availability or access to services within the public system, most people find that their only option is to have surgery at a private hospital or clinic. But how much will that cost you in NSW?
Bariatric Surgery Costs
In reality, the costs for an uninsured patient at our clinic, or most clinics, can be broken down into two main areas; hospital costs and surgeon/clinic costs (including surgeon fees etc). Costs for both will vary depending on the individual patient and/or surgeon, for example, care required (such as ICU vs regular bed, length of hospital stay), or the complexity of the procedure (how long surgery will take).
If you were insured, it would cover your hospital costs and (depending on the provider/policy) other related expenses. But without insurance, all of these costs fall directly to the patient. Hospital costs generally start from $10,000, plus other costs such as the anesthetist which can range from $1,500 – $2,500.
For a detailed breakdown of costs for both insured & uninsured patients visit our Bariatric Surgery Costs page.
Is it worth getting insurance?
Each provider is different, but typically there is a waiting period for surgery of 12 months. You could then decide whether paying 12 months of Gold tier health insurance would be worth it to you to offset the hospital costs.
For example, if a Gold tier policy was $300/month this would be $3,600 for the 12 months. This would save you a minimum of $6,400 in hospital costs if you were willing to wait 12 months for surgery. If it was $500/month you would still be saving a minimum of $4,000 in hospital costs.
It’s important to note at this point, that other options such as obesity treatment using weight loss medication may be available after as little as 6 months with a health insurance provider, which means you could start your weight-loss journey a long time before you can have surgery. It is worth making an appointment with a specialist to discuss your options, then seeking a health insurer that would provide the most benefit during your waiting period for surgery.
Sometimes providers can offer special add-on services that are also worth enquiring about.
What are other options for paying for surgery without insurance?
If you choose not to have private health insurance or do not have the appropriate level of cover, there are still other options available for paying for your surgery.
The hospital and your surgeon/clinic will require payment in full ahead of your surgery date (typically one week before). Once you have had your consultations with your bariatric surgeon or specialist, they will be able to provide you with a comprehensive quote for your surgery, including all hospital costs.
Once you have this amount, there are other ways you can pay these ahead of your surgery, without private health insurance.
Access Superannuation
Patients with a chronic painful condition, life-threatening illness or cancer can obtain access to superannuation funds to cover treatment that isn’t readily available in a public hospital. See Early access on compassionate grounds from the ATO. You can provide your quote for surgery and access the required funds for payment.
Payment Plans
You can pay your surgery costs in instalments ahead of your surgery date with a payment plan. Many of us are used to booking and paying for a holiday six months or more in advance, so the principle is familiar to us. By paying for your surgery this way you aren’t incurring any debt from credit suppliers, paying additional interest or having to access existing savings (or superannuation).
We offer our patients the option of Layby Surgery which allows our patients to budget, plan and pay ahead for their procedure. For more information about paying for bariatric surgery using Layby Surgery click here.
The first step to understanding how much bariatric surgery will cost you as an uninsured patient in NSW is to book an appointment with a specialist or surgeon to discuss your options in more detail. Once you have this thorough understanding it makes it much easier to plan how to accommodate paying for surgery.
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Hi I have a BMI of 45.
I’m interested in the bypass surgery.
I’ve tried for many years the alternative weight loss options with no success and only extra weight added in after giving up each time after a diet and exercise.