Frequently Asked Questions

Surgery FAQ

• Are you a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence®?

• At which hospital do you perform the surgeries?

• Are the hospitals Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence®?

• Do you take Medicare, Medicaid, and/or TennCare?

• Do you take all insurances?

• Can I choose the surgeon I want to do my surgery?

• I am from out of town; can I still have my surgery with your office?

• I had my surgery somewhere else; can I now see one of your surgeons?

• Why do I have to attend a seminar before my consultation appointment?

Surgery FAQ

• Are you a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence®?

  Yes, Dr. Jaime Ponce and Dr. Steven Paynter are both certified Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence® surgeons.

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• At which hospital do you perform the surgeries?

  We operate at two different facilities in the area: Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, TN and Hamilton Medical Center in Dalton, GA, as well as the Hamilton Ambulatory Surgery Center.

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• Are the hospitals Bariatric Surgery Centers of Excellence®?

  Yes, both of the facilities we operate at are Centers of Excellence.

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• Do you take Medicare, Medicaid, and/or TennCare?

  At this time we are not providers for Medicare, Medicaid, or TennCare.

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• Do you take all insurances?

  We work with most all commercial insurances. Check with your insurance to see if our surgeons are in or out-of-network providers. If we are out-of-network providers, as long as you have out-of-network coverage and benefits we will still accept your insurance.

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• Can I choose the surgeon I want to do my surgery?

  Yes, we will have you make an appointment for consultation with the surgeon of your choice. The surgeon you see for consultation will be the surgeon who performs your surgery.

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• I am from out of town; can I still have my surgery with your office?

  As long as you are committed to the pre-operative requirements and are committed to coming back to see us at least four times in the first year after surgery, we will take care of out of town patients. If you feel that the distance may be an obstacle to your follow up care, then we will refer you to a doctor closer to you to perform the surgery.

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• I had my surgery somewhere else; can I now see one of your surgeons?

  In order to evaluate you for transfer of care, we will need a surgical report and copy of your adjustments as well as a current health history form and reason for your need or want to transfer before we can evaluate you as a patient. All transfer patients must see our Medical Director for care.

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• Why do I have to attend a seminar before my consultation appointment?

  We believe that education is the most important aspect of any Bariatric Surgery. Our seminar provides potential patients, family, and other support persons the opportunity to learn more about the procedure, insurance and financial issues, as well as meet an actual patient in a casual environment at no cost, before they commit to a consultation appointment. We realize that everyone is busy which is why we offer these seminars in the evening in order to decrease missing work or other important appointments.

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