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What were some of your surgical costs?

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  • What were some of your surgical costs?

    I still have bills comming in but so far the hospital bill is just over 1/2 million dollers. With all the doctors their total will come in around $200,000. Think of the folks that don't have very good or no ins!
    March 23, 2006 Anterior/posterior Ileum-T2
    15 1/2 Hours
    Dr. Tom Lowe R.I.P.

  • #2
    The surgery alone totalled $110,000. The hardware was $45,000. Adding the hospital, prescriptions and physical therapy costs, the total was near $200,000.
    Last edited by HGD24; 06-28-2006, 02:03 PM.

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    • #3
      Hi...

      Total costs were approximately $200,000 13 years ago! I've known people whose bills totaled more than $1,000,000.

      I really dislike the insurance industry, but am grateful that I have coverage.

      --Linda
      Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
      ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
      Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

      Comment


      • #4
        Don't have a clue, healthcare is free here. Will ask my ortho how much it comes to about, I'm curious. I'm at least thankful that I don't have to deal with it, with all the appointments and wait.
        35 y/old female from Montreal, Canada
        Diagnosed with scoliosis(double major) at age 12, wore Boston brace 4 years at least 23 hours a day-curve progressed
        Surgery age 26 for 60 degree curve in Oct. 1997 by Dr.Max Aebi-fused T5 to L2
        Surgery age 28 for a hook removal in Feb. 1999 by Dr.Max Aebi-pain free for 5 years
        Surgery age 34 in Dec.2005 for broken rod replacement, bigger screws and crosslinks added and pseudarthrosis(non union) by Dr. Jean Ouellet

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        • #5
          My surgery lacked $4.00 being $200,000.00. Then my second surgery to have rods removed cost around $20,000. Then my third surgery to have rods put back in was $55,000.00. All total around $275,000.00. This was in 1 years time. My insurance was great and our out of pocket expense was about $5,000.00. If I had not had ins. I would not have been able to have my surgeries.
          Mattie

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          • #6
            Hi Back Talk,

            This is a painful subject for me. My bill was $290,000 plus. My insurance paid a lot of that. But last month I was told that I had been sent to the legal department because I still owe $42,000. $30,000 of that is owed to the DR. that moved my internal organs during the ant. surgery, he wasn't part of my plan???

            Shari

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            • #7
              Wow Shari, I would think that doctor would be (sol). He and his office had to have done or gone over your medical background. As part of that I think all services pre qualify the patient with their insurance? If your insurance told him they won't pay him, his office people would have been all over you as to how you were going to pay.
              Maybe another here could help explain what you could do. It is very rare that I am wright about this stuff, but when you are my age nobody cares. They just let me talk. LOL
              I know this will work out for you, even if you give them $20 a month they have to except it.
              My Best, Jess
              March 23, 2006 Anterior/posterior Ileum-T2
              15 1/2 Hours
              Dr. Tom Lowe R.I.P.

              Comment


              • #8
                Hi Shari...

                You should bring this up with your surgeon's office. Unless they made the introduction before surgery, I feel it was their responsibility to be sure the additional doctor was on your plan. When you have no way of knowing so that you can pick another doctor who is on your plan, it should never be your responsibility. I would definitely fight it, involving an attorney if necessary.

                I was in the hospital about 4 years ago, and during that stay, had many tests done. Some of the doctors who performed those tests, or who read the results, were no longer accepting BC/BS, but no one let me know that. When I got out of the hospital, my insurance company tried to make me pay out of pocket for those charges. I appealed, and won.

                Regards,
                Linda
                Never argue with an idiot. They always drag you down to their level, and then they beat you with experience. --Twain
                ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                Surgery 2/10/93 A/P fusion T4-L3
                Surgery 1/20/11 A/P fusion L2-sacrum w/pelvic fixation

                Comment


                • #9
                  Shari

                  I completely agree with Linda and what you said is making me nervous now too. My surgery was in Dec and my bill from UCSF is $387,000. I don't know yet what my portion is going to be but I'm sure I won't like it. When I was in the hospital some guy came in to talk to me about the bone growth stimulator that my Dr. wanted me to have....he could have been Spongebob for all I knew then. Anyway, they sent it to me and then I got the bill saying I owed $5000 because my insurance would only pay $375 for DME. I called the doctor and the company and fought it and they wrote it off. I don't see how they can charge you in full for services from doctor that you never authorized to even provide service. Put up a fight. You can send them $10 a month if you want and they can't come after you as long as you pay something until you get it taken care of.

                  Good luck.
                  Kim
                  Kim
                  35yr mother of 4 yr old girl and 8 yr old boy
                  *Dec 05 A/P revision surgery-UCSF,Dr. Deviren- fused T3 - L3, rib removal
                  *1995 Hardware removal (spine collapsed into 105 degree kyphotic curve over next 8 yrs)
                  *1994 Revision scoliosis surgery to remove rods and put in clamps/other type hardware, ended up having problems so went back under 5 days later
                  *1992 Removal of broken Harrington rod, 2 smaller rods put in
                  *1987 Harrington rod for 46 degree scoliosis curve

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                  • #10
                    Hi,

                    I have been sending $30.00 a month since I got out of the hospital, I think I made my first payment in June of 05. In March of 06 a man calls me and informed me that I needed to pay $1500.00 a month and I chuckled out of shock not disrespect. He got slightly angry with me. We had our conversation and he ended the call with, "well I'll have to speak to my manager about this". 3 months later I find out I've been sent to their legal department because the $30.00 a month is not enough of a payment.

                    I have spent many hours on the phone, mostly on hold, to try to resolve this. I know as long as I send the a payment each month, they can't do a darn thing to me. I know I can't possibly owe this money. I just can't seem to get it straightened out. And to be perfectly honest, after talking to so many people and getting so many different answers, I'm just confused!!!

                    Shari

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      wow, shari... as one soon to go in, I have not been thinking too much about the costs involved(too much else on my mind!) When I checked with my surgeon's office last mth, they told me Aetna did not respond to my predetermination yet?? It was sent in January... They did say a lot of insurance co's do not answer?? or wait until right before surgery & not to worry since I have the PPO. The insurance woman there did say that my Dr's rates just went up this month......Ly
                      ps. just back from a great vacation to Niagra Falls & Toronto!
                      http://lynnebackattack.blogspot.com
                      Last edited by lelc2002@yahoo; 07-04-2006, 05:38 AM.

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        I am truly astounded and frightened by what I'm reading on this link...especially since no one really knows whats to come out of all of this. My insurance has a cap on it - which I thought was set high enough - but after reading these posts! Oh MY! (Does any/every one else have a medical insurance cap? or just us teachers?) I had my first surgery as a child - my parents took care of that - but am looking at my second surgery as an adult and mother of 3. What if they need surgeries in the future? What if I need more surgeries in the future? Oh, this what if game in terms of scoliosis is just so old...wish we had all the answers!

                        My dad just had heart surgery and he was flabbergasted by a $20,000 bill! I truly am in sticker shock reading all of your links.

                        Always Smilin' (but maybe smilin' smiles of nervousness!)

                        Always Smilin'
                        Colleen

                        1982 fused T2-L1
                        pre op 45 - post op 33 (left thoracic)
                        pre op 53 - post op 18 (right thoracic)

                        recheck 2006
                        right thoracic 57
                        lower lumbar 34

                        surgical revision April 28,2009
                        revision T3-L1; new fusion L1-L4
                        unsure of degrees at this point

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Insurance cap?

                          I was told by my insurance company that even though dr. Boachie is out of network, after we pay up to the cap (which is high), his services should be covered 100 percent. What I'm wondering, though, is whether that cap applies to hospital costs, attending physicians' fees, PT, rehab, etc......is the cap applied on a case by case basis or for the whole shebang??

                          I'm pretty stupid with insurance stuff...have never looked at having a medical procedure this expensive.


                          Chris
                          Chris
                          A/P fusion on June 19, 2007 at age 52; T10-L5
                          Pre-op thoracolumbar curve: 70 degrees
                          Post-op curve: 12 degrees
                          Dr. Boachie-adjei, HSS, New York

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            The cap??

                            The cap means all medical expenses which are covered. My company had a $1,000,000 cap.
                            Things not covered:hosp phone bill, TV etc are NOT in the cap.
                            Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
                            Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Help with insurance confusion.

                              Knowledge is power. Here is a link from a site which might help to avoid insurance misunderstanding:

                              http://www.kff.org/consumerguide/7350.cfm

                              It seems one must be a rocket scientist to manage this stuff--and I have a lot of experience with this.

                              I recently got several non-payments by my company due to sheer idiocy by claims handlers.
                              An example: I had a hysterectomy in March. Some lab work in hosp was not covered "because it was done in a health care facility" HELLO!! I was sent a bill for the balance. If I was not aware I would have paid it. I called the ins. co. and it is being re-processed.

                              Another example; the ER doctor who saw me for complications leading to re-admission "was not in network"--as if I had a choice. I was billed ~$600 but my EOB(explanation of benefits) said--and I can access this on-line way before it comes in the mail--said this doctor was part of "a multiplan agreement" and I owed no balance. The doctor's billing office said there was no agreement so pay-up. I called my ins co who said they are sending them and me a copy of the multiplan agreement. If I ws not so aware I would have been intimidated and paid.

                              Whenever you have a dispute with a biller, and you call the insurance company for resolution, always call the biller back and tell them so they stay off your back while things are being resolved.

                              I think a lot of patients are being fleeced for lack of info.

                              Here's a patient advocacy site:

                              http://www.patientadvocate.org/index.php
                              Last edited by Karen Ocker; 07-04-2006, 08:46 AM.
                              Original scoliosis surgery 1956 T-4 to L-2 ~100 degree thoracic (triple)curves at age 14. NO hardware-lost correction.
                              Anterior/posterior revision T-4 to Sacrum in 2002, age 60, by Dr. Boachie-Adjei @Hospital for Special Surgery, NY = 50% correction

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