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Minor surgery cost

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Posted 10/16/2009 6:20 PM (GMT 0)
Will most doctors(surgeons) tell you on the phone of the cost of a minor surgery?  I don't currently have insurance and so, need to know in advance a rough idea of the cost beforehand.  In a couple months I'll be eligible for the state assigned risk plan, but it has a 50% co-pay for preexisting conditions for the first 6 months, so unless I'm going to wait 8 months, I still need to know the cost.  (and frankly, the cost on the state health plan is so much it might be better to just not get the insurance and pay for it out of pocket).

It's a lipoma, and it should be a simple matter of prep, anesthetize(local), snip a 3 inch section, and suture. 

Posted 10/17/2009 5:20 AM (GMT 0)
rcenters,

There are a lot of costs involved, so if you request the numbers be sure to ask your physician to include not only his/her fees but also the cost of the operating room and/or facility, any meds including the anesthesia, the cost of any other attending physicians' services, etc. I had an out-patient procedure a few years ago and was surprised that the cost of the facility and OR was $23,000. Then I got a separate bill from the anesthesiologist. Then I got a bill from the surgeon. These were paid by my insurance, but it was still an eye-opener to see how much they all charged.

In my experience, you can sometimes negotiate an insurance company discount for medical services. I had a CT scan that was not covered by my insurance and the bill was over a thousand dollars. I found out that had the insurance paid for it the cost would have been five hundred sixty dollars. Using that information I was able to get the scan company to accept less than they were originally asking. It's worth a try.

Your post exemplifies the deplorable condition of medical insurance in this country. I don't believe preexisting conditions should even be a consideration for coverage. Well, that's a topic for a different post. Good luck to you in finding reasonable rates for your surgery, and for a successful outcome.

Rose
Posted 10/17/2009 12:41 PM (GMT 0)
Day surgery facilities are usually less expensive than hospitals for surgery. Ask to speak with the billing department and/or patient advocacy office for help getting all the financial info you need and to see if they have any charity programs or discount options for people without insurance. Also, sometimes they're willing to arrange for you to make monthly payments instead of making you pay the whole thing all at once. And sometimes there are discounts if you pay the whole thing when you show up for surgery. Ask lots of questions, make sure you read all the fine print, and never assume anything -- always ask!

Good luck!
Posted 10/17/2009 4:37 PM (GMT 0)
I had surgery a few months ago. I stayed in the hospital overnight and was released the next day. The hospital bill alone came out to over $46,000.00. The insurance company only had to pay them just over $2,000.00. That's it! Paid in full.

If I didn't have insurance, I would have owed them over $46,000.00 but they will accept just $2,000 from the insurance company.
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