Colonoscopy costs?

So I just had my second colonoscopy last month and the bills are finally starting to roll in. My insurance is apparently a lot worse than it was the first time around (*sigh*) and I've already received $1500+ worth of bills and am still lacking my lab bill. Does this usually cost you guys an arm and a leg or is my insurance just exceptionally bad?

It appears (if I read my insurance statements correctly, which is always a struggle) that this is simply a matter of not meeting my calendar year deducible yet. I'm at $1500+ of $2000. I should reach it just in time for the year to end! :P Yes, my insurance does suck... my company, where I've worked for ~8 years now, has persisted on going out of their way to make our insurance worse each and every year. My only relief was when I was outsourced for a couple of years to a company who actually seemed to like their employees. ;)

Even if you have a high deductible it is possible to negotiate your bill lower so don't automatically pay it.
First they have to be submitted to your ins. co. who has already negotiated a reduced rate. That rate is a starting point for you to negotiate. The bill you receive directly from the doctor/lab/facility may or may not be the negotiated rate.

After you get the statement from your insurance company for each individual part of your colonoscopy you can then contact each entity and ask nicely for a reduction. This is not unusual so don't feel bad about doing it. Before paying this reduced rate (I'm assuming you're going to be successful) ask for a statement reflecting the lowered bill.

If you can't get one or more parts of the bill lowered ask for a payment plan to pay it over several months. They'll suggest using your credit card but it would be better to use their credit not yours.

I've had a high deductible for over 20 years and learned how to negotiate medical bills. My current insurance covers yearly mammograms and colonoscopys now and when the new US insurance regs. go into effect I think these types of preventative tests will be covered (I may be wrong).

Good luck. Hope this helps a little.

P.S. Way back I used to call up and ask "how much" for procedures in advance and they were SHOCKED at the question and couldn't answer. Nowadays they are ready with the cost because they know YOU will be paying if you are asking. Colonoscopy prices vary by many thousands of dollars from facility to facility. Hospitals cost more but I don't always base my decision on cost. Also doctors get a very small chunk of the money but they may not tell you that they are full or part-owners of the facility they use.

I have to pay 20% up until I reach my max out of pocket for the year ($5000) for anything billed as medical. We probably could get something with a lower out of pocket but I think my husband figured it would be about the same because the premiums would be higher.

I usually pay nothing as long as I stay in-network. Individual plans and Group plans are significantly different. I am in a group plan.

I just spokw with my insurance co yesterday, and they explained that they'll cover 85% of the bill ONCE i've met my deducible of $1200?!?!?!

So it sounds like I'll be paying an arm and a leg for my c-scope once you figure in the copay, the 15% and then the deductible (towards which I've accrued ZERO so far...).

I know everybody always gripes about HMO's (and all admit those stupid PCP referals were the most annoying thing EVER), but with the HMO plan I used to be on, I never had to wonder what I would pay. Even if the cost of the procedure was higher or lower, my amount was fixed. I know that I could end up paying less the current way, but I'm one of those people that doesn't like surpises (at least the kind that require me to pay for them!) and I'd rather know in advance how much i'll end up paying. Ugh, headache!

I'm in the same boat as you, all I have is major medical. with a $2500 deductible. I do get screening tests paid for but not a colonscopy. Insurance is a rip off for what you pay and so are the health care costs. I avoid going to the doctors as much as possible because of it. While others talk about taking $400 dollar a month prescriptions like it's no big deal, when you don't have that kind of coverage it is too much to afford and your left to fend for yourself.

Oh, yes, Kelli I forgot about the deductible thing. Mine was $1000 so that's why I had to pay $860 for my first colonoscopy this year and then 20% of the sig/end I had later. But you should have a max. out of pocket as well. So your insurance at some point should start to cover everything again. Do you know what the max out of pocket is?

So I finally got around to calling everyone and begging for discounts (and eventually paying...) and unfortunately because in my case what I owe is a result of my deductible (as discussed previously) none of the providers who budge on any of the numbers. Ah well... time to find a job with better insurance. (As if...) :P Thanks all!

Sounds about what I pay. Our insurance doesn't cover colonoscopies either. They barely cover anything!

::streaks through the post, lauging at the crappy attempt at advertising::

But then a username like that? (I won't repeat it for fear of encouraging him/her) Editing the post doesn't help at all! The post should be deleted and the user banned