$5,500 for a CAT Scan

[shiner]

You should have asked them for a price match

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: Pliablemoose
Welcome to insurance supported hospitals where they charge up the ass for procedures because of all the illegals/uninsured getting free health care andyou, the working person paying a ton for your insurance, having to eat the tab.

Corrected to show the "pass it on" effect.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Originally posted by: Atrail
My wife had a pain in her side went to doctor, she thought it might be appendix.
The doctor ordered a test. Went to hospital to have test performed. She drank some liquid and sat around for a couple hours and had the test done.

$5,500 was billed to the insurance.

Does anyone have any insight into if that is a reasonable charge?
Looking online at the claim our copay is quite a bit, we have not received the official bill from the insurance company yet.

That just seems unreasonably high, is there any recourse?

Thanks for any input

It wasn't her appendix, she is doing fine now btw

I work in a hospital, yes thats extremely high. My dad just had one on his head and chest and it was just under $1k.

Another thing to understand is that being a part of a health "network" means the hospital has an agreement with the insurance company to charge $xx for xxx procedure. Just because they charge that doesnt mean the insurance wont say go to hell and make them lower it.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: TwiceOver
VERY high. I had all that done, appendix actually taken out, two nights in the hospital, plus the ER visit... All for the low low price of $6400. I got a kick ass cup though.

What did the hospital BILL at though? Like we said he is talking pre-insurance dollars.

My wife just had surgery. Hospital costs are still pending insurance, but for a 23hour stay totaled $22k

Our surgeon charged $3k, insurance paid $750. The Assisting Surgeon charged $600, got $150.

First $2000 of health costs are 'free' to us with my plan...then I go into a deductable where I pay 20% up to it.

If we had known she needed this surgery I would have picked the high cost health plan. Then I only get $1000 of 'free' money, but I pay at 10%.

I don't pay much at all in premiums. My brother has a better plan, his company cover health at 100% for all family members along with dental, life and vision.

 

[TwiceOver]

Originally posted by: alkemyst

Originally posted by: TwiceOver
VERY high. I had all that done, appendix actually taken out, two nights in the hospital, plus the ER visit... All for the low low price of $6400. I got a kick ass cup though.

What did the hospital BILL at though? Like we said he is talking pre-insurance dollars.

My wife just had surgery. Hospital costs are still pending insurance, but for a 23hour stay totaled $22k

Our surgeon charged $3k, insurance paid $750. The Assisting Surgeon charged $600, got $150.

First $2000 of health costs are 'free' to us with my plan...then I go into a deductable where I pay 20% up to it.

If we had known she needed this surgery I would have picked the high cost health plan. Then I only get $1000 of 'free' money, but I pay at 10%.

I don't pay much at all in premiums. My brother has a better plan, his company cover health at 100% for all family members along with dental, life and vision.

That was no insurance at all. At the time, I was uninsured for a brief moment.

 

[alkemyst]

Doubtful this was the actual original charges then. Just spending a night in the hospital here is $1100. That is just the bed cost.

 

[TwiceOver]

Originally posted by: alkemyst
Doubtful this was the actual original charges then. Just spending a night in the hospital here is $1100. That is just the bed cost.

Well... That's what I paid 5 years ago.

BTW: Could you buy me dinner, you're really ridin' me on some of my posts.

 

[moks78]

Wow! That's pretty high. Like what others have said...your insurance will haggle with the hospital and will pay a much lower price after all is said and done.


Got a CT scan for my left kidney and then for abdominal pain on separate occasions last year. It showed a small size kidney stone and cyst on the lower pole. The abdominal scan with contrast was unremarkable. Got flank pain once in a while...just have to drink lots of water or liquid.

Thank god I have a good insurance or I would have been burdened with expenses. Did not pay anything...HMOs are sometimes good.

 

[purplehippo]

The new 64 slice cat scans are at least double that. Sure glad there is insurance.

 

[JulesMaximus]

I have a cat, I'll scan you for half that.

 

[alkemyst]

Originally posted by: TwiceOver

Originally posted by: alkemyst
Doubtful this was the actual original charges then. Just spending a night in the hospital here is $1100. That is just the bed cost.

Well... That's what I paid 5 years ago.

BTW: Could you buy me dinner, you're really ridin' me on some of my posts.

I am thinking something was negotiated then or you were in a government assisted type of place or something.

Don't get the riding part. Just replying as too many leave out A LOT of details on what went into why they paid what they did medically.

If I were to pay another $200 or so a month in premiums (I get 3 options at my employer), routine stuff would have been very expensive this year, but most any major surgery pretty much free.

Free in the sense that I already would have laid out about $5k in health care costs up front.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Originally posted by: purplehippo
The new 64 slice cat scans are at least double that. Sure glad there is insurance.

The 64 slice arent all that impressive when you see the newer 256 slice

 

[darkxshade]

I wonder how much a CAT scan machine cost... I could buy one and open up shop and charge about 1000/scan and watch as people line up around the block. :laugh:

 

[imported_Imp]

If they bill to insurance, the "medical business" might be boosting the price up to get more money.

 

[se7en]

Originally posted by: Atrail
My wife had a pain in her side went to doctor, she thought it might be appendix.
The doctor ordered a test. Went to hospital to have test performed. She drank some liquid and sat around for a couple hours and had the test done.

$5,500 was billed to the insurance.

Does anyone have any insight into if that is a reasonable charge?
Looking online at the claim our copay is quite a bit, we have not received the official bill from the insurance company yet.

That just seems unreasonably high, is there any recourse?

Thanks for any input

It wasn't her appendix, she is doing fine now btw

I work in a hospital one of the majors and that its pretty normal. It was probably an abdomen/pelvis which is generally done at the same time. Even though it is one test as billed it is actually 2 seperate tests (abdomen+pelvis).

Rarely are they ordered seperately though.

A high res chest being a single test is usually around 3,200 - 3,500. Now what the contracted amount the insurance will pay is likely much lower than that.