Colonoscopy Cost Strategies from MedicalBillSurvivalGuide.com
Online, December 9, 2010 (Newswire.com) - MedicalBillSurvivalGuide.com encourages patients to be conscious of factors that can increase colonoscopy cost. These strategies were adapted from the article Colonoscopy Price & Cost at MedicalBillSurvivalGuide.com.
1) STAY IN-NETWORK
Colonoscopies performed by out-of-network providers cost more. Log into your own personal insurance portal through the website listed on your health insurance card to verify that your providers are indeed in-network.
2) DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PROVIDER TYPES
The price of a colonoscopy can vary widely among in-network providers even within the same health insurance plan. If you have a high-deductible you must seek out the least costly in-network provider because the first $2,000-$5,000 of any services rendered is your responsibility to pay.
Some insurance companies have negotiated colonoscopy prices at ambulatory surgery centers and endoscopy centers as low as $384 while the fees for some outpatient hospital departments are as high as $2,000 for the same colonoscopy.
Here are good price targets for the whole procedure:
Physician fee: $300 (low) / $476 (med) / $848 (high)
Endoscopy center or hospital fee: $384 (low) / $650 (med) / $2,000 (high)
Anesthesia: $0 with conscious sedation / $439 with monitored anesthesia care
3) CALL AROUND FOR THE LOWEST PRICE
Insurance companies do a pretty poor job of helping their high-deductible enrollees find the lowest cost providers. You still have to call all the providers yourself and ask them to tell you the total price you must pay under your unique insurance and high-deductible. There may be anywhere from 5 to 25 facilities in your area that perform colonoscopies.
Also ask all providers about their financial aid policies. Although not-for-profit hospital usually have a higher price for colonoscopy, their financial aid policies tend to be better and could ultimately result in a lower cost to you.
4) AVOID MONITORED ANESTHESIA CARE
Verify that your physician uses conscious sedation instead of monitored anesthesia care (MAC). Conscious sedation is the standard of care for colonoscopies and can be administered by a nurse of the facility, whereas a MAC has to be administered by an anesthesiologist. Conscious sedation cuts patients' costs because they don't have to pay extra money to an anesthesiologist to supervise.
If your physician prefers to use a MAC, ask him or her if they have a partner that uses conscious sedation.
5) MITIGATE REPEATS OF THE PROCEDURE
You can avoid paying extra costs by being extra diligent with your colonoscopy prep. If you cheat on your prep by eating food or by not drinking the entire laxative, your physician may have to abort the procedure and try again on another day. You don't want to go through colonoscopy prep twice for twice the cost.
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MedicalBillSurvivalGuide.com is the free companion forum to The Medical Bill Survival Guide: Easy, Effective Strategies for People Experiencing Financial Hardship by Nicholas Newsad, MHSA. Over 50 free articles are available on the topics of medical bill help and financial aid at MedicalBillSurvivalGuide.com.
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Tags: colonoscopy, cost, price