Ron's Posts

Ron, I live in Tennessee and have BCBS of Tennessee, their top tier I guess as out of the plans we were offered at work I picked the best. I went to Cleveland and had my aortic valve replaced and aortic aneurysm replaced among a few other issues that were discovered. They have paid for all of it other than my 5000 deductible. I spent 10 days at CC and 7 of them were in the ICU and have had no issues with the insurance taking care of any of it. Hope this helps

Hi Ron, I also had the same surgery as @David Augustus with Dr. Castro at Sequoia in Redwood City. They are affiliated with Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Castro is expert in valve repair and replacement, and the best doctor/surgeon I have ever met. He and his partner Dr. Harmon really care about their patients and give you the most superb personal care.

Dr. Starnes is the top option in my book. I traveled from Florida to have him operate on me. I had OHS in 1978 when I was 5 by Dr. Shumway (the father of OHS) and Starnes is his protege! So I knew I was in good hands, plus he knew what Shumway had done to me having worked along side him for so many years, it was the right fit! And the USC Keck Hospital is FLIPPING FANTASTIC!!! I was there for 8 days. Starnes has his own staff, his own rooms! The entire staff at Keck are AMAZING! And believe it or not, the food is GREAT! My surgery was just Feb 12, 2019. I HIGHLY recommend Starnes at USC Keck if you insurance covers it! I had United Healthcare and apparently, it is great insurance! Happy to help if you need anything!

I looked at surgeons in and out of my insurance coverage area. I was quoted $150k for mitral valve repair. If you're considering paying cash, you might want to see if there's a professional who can negotiate on your behalf. I was surprised that the cash price was higher than what these surgeons and facilities receive from insurance companies and Medicare. Good luck!