Question on brain scans

[yellowperil]

Anyone working in medicine/health field - how much would it cost to get a brain scan done (without insurance?). I'm not exactly sure which kind, I'm guessing maybe an fMRI. The reason is that I recently had a couple 'blanking out' experiences where I was temporarily disoriented. It first happened a couple years ago, and then occurred sporadically after that, but I didn't think much about it. It seems to occur when I'm tired but mostly randomly, I'll just forget what I'm doing altogther and where I am, and it'll last for maybe 5-10 minutes. Afterwards I'll be dizzy for the rest of the day. Anyways I thought I'd get a scan if I don't have to take out a second loan to pay for it. Thx

 

[amnesiac]

Why don't you have insurance? It would be cheaper to get a policy then get a scan rather than pay for one.
An MRI usually costs about $1000-2000.

 

[yellowperil]

Wow. I guess maybe I should look for a policy then. Never had coverage before, my parents were self-employed and couldn't pay for it (either that or they had the old Asian mentality of proving you were dying before seeing a doc). I guess there's a student plan at my school but I don't know if it would pay for any of it.

 

[tcsenter]

This is no McHospital where you can just walk up and order a brain scan. "Yes, I'd like a brain scan, please? Can I Super-Size that?"

Why don't you start telling a doctor about your spells and let him decide what you need to have done.

Why don't you have insurance?

What kind of question is that? There are 40+ million people in the US without health insurance and growing.

 

[yellowperil]

Originally posted by: tcsenter
This is no McHospital where you can just walk up and order a brain scan. "Yes, I'd like a brain scan, please? Can I Super-Size that?"

Yeah, I figured as such. Perhaps in the future it'll be possible (looking forward to the year 2000).

 

[amnesiac]

I suggest you go to your school's health center. They can usually insure you for a lot less than you'd expect to pay from another carrier. Often it has just as good coverage as an external plan.
However, if the student plan doesn't cover it let me know, I can get you some quotes on Blue Cross and other companies. For students they're generally pretty affordable and you'd be paying a LOT less than you would if you paid for your doctors visits.
PM me if you need any help or information!

 

[amnesiac]

Originally posted by: tcsenter

Why don't you have insurance?

What kind of question is that? There are 40+ million people in the US without health insurance and growing.

I think it's a perfectly valid question. Most of the time the answer is "I can't afford it" which is a perfectly acceptable answer. But often it's "I don't know where to get it." in which case I can help.

 

[Kerouactivist]

I really hope that one day healthcare will be free but, I think that the insurance lobby will probably stop that from happening

 

[Cyberian]

Originally posted by: bthorny
I really hope that one day healthcare will be free but, I think that the insurance lobby will probably stop that from happening

Well, it really can't be 'free'.
It has to be paid for either through taxes, insurance, or out-of-pocket.

 

[Kerouactivist]

Originally posted by: Cyberian

Originally posted by: bthorny
I really hope that one day healthcare will be free but, I think that the insurance lobby will probably stop that from happening

Well, it really can't be 'free'.
It has to be paid for either through taxes, insurance, or out-of-pocket.

Ok then paid for by taxes, Picky Picky

 

[NogginBoink]

Instead of going for a brain scan, why don't you start by going to a doctor?

I mean, you don't even know what a brain scan IS, so I'm sure you don't have the skills to actually interpret that data you'd get... not to mention knowing whether or not such a scan would even be useful to you.

 

[Mark R]

<FONT face=Verdana size=1>NogginBoink is quite right. You should seek a doctor's opinion, and be examined, and then let him decide on the appropriate tests, and in which order to do them.

I wouldn't have thought it appropriate for the first test to be a brain scan. Additionally, I doubt that an fMRI would be a useful investigation at any stage.</FONT>