Cost Of Endoscopy!

[JustCan]

I'm doing a little research before I flip out on my doctor. Forgive me for the rant but I also want your feedback. First off, I have a high deductible health plan which means that I pay the full cost of all services until I meet my deductible of $2800. Most days I like my insurance...it has great coverage for preventive care and really low premiums.

To give you some background, I tried out a gluten free diet and found that I felt better than I ever had. I then decided I should get tested to know for sure if it's celiac (after spending time on this board I never would do that now!). My PCP did the blood work while I was gluten-free. Well, we know that's useless. He then sent me to a GI who had me do a month long gluten challenge (thought I was going to die) and then did an endoscopy only to tell me he didn't see any damage but that I should definitely stay on a gluten-free diet. Yeah, thanks.

So that was back in August of 2007. I have since gotten bills from the GI ($465) and the endoscopy center ($1360). I just paid off the last amount last week. As soon as I did that, another bill showed up for the lab for $359. It seems a little too coincidental that I paid it off and then get another bill 8 months later! That totals $2184 just for the endoscopy, nevermind the bloodwork, doc visits, etc. And to top it off, my husband and I finished out 2007 $24 short of our deductible!

Now, I know medical care is expensive and I also live in Philadelphia which has extremely high medical costs but $2184 just seems outrageously expensive for a procedure that lasts about 15 minutes. Throw in the anesthesia part and you're talking an hour max.

My question to all of you before I fight this last charge with the doc - How much was your endoscopy? I realize most of you paid a copay but if have any insurance paperwork or other info that shows actual costs, I'd love your input. Maybe $2184 is reasonable and I'm just crazy

Thanks for your help!!! This board has been a life saver for me.

[Gemini]

I'm doing a little research before I flip out on my doctor. Forgive me for the rant but I also want your feedback. First off, I have a high deductible health plan which means that I pay the full cost of all services until I meet my deductible of $2800. Most days I like my insurance...it has great coverage for preventive care and really low premiums.

To give you some background, I tried out a gluten free diet and found that I felt better than I ever had. I then decided I should get tested to know for sure if it's celiac (after spending time on this board I never would do that now!). My PCP did the blood work while I was gluten-free. Well, we know that's useless. He then sent me to a GI who had me do a month long gluten challenge (thought I was going to die) and then did an endoscopy only to tell me he didn't see any damage but that I should definitely stay on a gluten-free diet. Yeah, thanks.

So that was back in August of 2007. I have since gotten bills from the GI ($465) and the endoscopy center ($1360). I just paid off the last amount last week. As soon as I did that, another bill showed up for the lab for $359. It seems a little too coincidental that I paid it off and then get another bill 8 months later! That totals $2184 just for the endoscopy, nevermind the bloodwork, doc visits, etc. And to top it off, my husband and I finished out 2007 $24 short of our deductible!

Now, I know medical care is expensive and I also live in Philadelphia which has extremely high medical costs but $2184 just seems outrageously expensive for a procedure that lasts about 15 minutes. Throw in the anesthesia part and you're talking an hour max.

My question to all of you before I fight this last charge with the doc - How much was your endoscopy? I realize most of you paid a copay but if have any insurance paperwork or other info that shows actual costs, I'd love your input. Maybe $2184 is reasonable and I'm just crazy

Thanks for your help!!! This board has been a life saver for me.

While I cannot help you out with the cost of an endoscopy, I would guess that the amount you were charged is correct.

They have whole wings dedicated to these procedures and they have to be paid for. Many doctor's make their money by doing procedures and that's why they push people so hard to have them. I hate to be so blunt but it's a business and they will charge what they can get away with. I, too, think it's outrageous and am glad I declined the test. My blood work was proof enough I had celiac disease.

[JustCan]

Thanks for the response. I agree that it's a business and you're absolutely right that doctors push procedures because that's how they make money. That to me is a huge problem. Thanks again!

[nikky]

I cant help you with the cost because mine was free (NHS), but id say that charge seems about right. I agree withthe othe poster, its a bit like a buisness, whilest the doctor has to look after you, they still want to make money. It seems outrageously high but there are dedicated units for these kind of procedures, which have to be paid for then theres the nurses and doctors that also have to be paid.

This is one issue im glad to say i wont ever have, in the UK everyone gets free healthcare.

[Worriedtodeath]

Sounds like ours. The gi AFTER the contract price with the insurance was around 261. The hosipital charge around 3500 and that was under contract for around 1700. We have to pay a total of our 1000.00 deductible and then our coinsurance of another 800. Honestly we would be better off without insurance. when we did the blood work in JULY the price tag was $480.00. SInce the lab was out of network , we had to pay 87.00. In DEC we redid the blood work. THe lab was now in network and the price was 1118.00 contracted to 788.00!!!! So as far as I am convinced that's pretty fair proof that it is more of a rackett than a help.

Stacie

[Fiddle-Faddle]

I wonder how high the chances are that an endoscopy will turn up something other than damaged villi? I know it's possible, but what are the odds?

At this point, I am convinced that the whole endoscopy thing is simply a money-maker for the doctors. You paid a high price to be told what you already knew--that you can't eat gluten. You still don't know if celiac was ruled out, because you were not on gluten long enough (3-4 months) to cause visible damage to your villi. You also don't know if continued ingestion of gluten would eventually damage your villi, or if it would just damage other parts of your body (joints, skin, thyroid, pancreas, neuro, lymphoma etc.).

Oh, well. At least you are feeling better now that you are gluten-free again!

[Worriedtodeath]

I really think the chances are pretty darn low. Every possible "other" for my baby all could be caused by Celiac or an allergy/intolerance of something. we went into the biopsy knowing 100% what the intolerance was - wheat. Now I am sure there are other gi conditions but for my child everything else had been ruled out or didn't fit any of hte symptoms. Everything we were looking for and everything it could have been - other than some really wild way out there left field disease that only appears in medical books and no dr would even think of - centered around a problem with wheat/gluten.

several hundred dollars later we still know no more than before the scope. It gave us no answers other than to confirm what the drs thought. She has some kind of problem related to wheat. DUH! I figured that on my own with a detailed food diary. And it didn't even cost me paper and pencil as I used my computer. At some point in her life whether as an older child or an adult on her own, all of this will evenutally be repeated. She'll eat wheat, eventually one day get sick sick sick from it, and have another dr want to look inside her gut and take out pieces.

What a whacky system concerning Celiac/Gluten sensitivity!!! What ever happened to the days of it if makes you feel sick, then don't eat it. Now we have to have a positive biopsy to tell you not to eat it any longer. Can't drs jsut say Hey gluten can cause major problems. Cut it out and see if you feel better after awhile. BUt then gi drs wouldn't schedule a day every week to perform scopes every 30 mintues for 8 hrs. THink how much he made in one day just running scopes. His cut was around 251. And we have the cut throat insurance that barely pays anything to the drs since the insurance company is so large and he gets a high volume from my insurance company. I know he did 4 patients while we there. we were the first at 8:30 and left at 10:00. So 2 an hour x8 = 16 * 250 = 4000 And that's all to him. So that's his bread and butter that probably pays for his staff and office each week. The he still has oddball scopes, office visits and such the other 4 days. with a waiting list of 3 months that's a lot of co-pays.

I say it's the gold standard because of the amount of gold it puts in their pockets.

Stacie