Are these costs normal?
My 17-year-old son had spinal fusion in March of this year and is doing quite well. His 58 degree curve was reduced to about 26 degrees and he's been back in school for a couple of weeks now. During the surgery the team implanted two titanium roda (with screws) and fused seven vertebra. Before the operation my son's orthopedic surgeon assured us that our insurance should cover all the costs. Our Blue Cross/Blue Shield policy has been excellent and quite comprehensive in the past and paid everything for the medical personnel involved. I was shocked, therefore, to receive a bill from the hospital for almost $26,000. It seems our insurance covered everything except the appliances (I assume the rods and anchoring devices). The charge for the titanium components was more than $25,000 and the insurance only paid $600. We sure wern't expecting this and didn't make any provision for that kind of cost, especially with my son starting college in the fall. Is this normal? Do the titanium components REALLY cost that much? If so, WHY? Thanks for any help you can provide.
My 17-year-old son had spinal fusion in March of this year and is doing quite well. His 58 degree curve was reduced to about 26 degrees and he's been back in school for a couple of weeks now. During the surgery the team implanted two titanium roda (with screws) and fused seven vertebra. Before the operation my son's orthopedic surgeon assured us that our insurance should cover all the costs. Our Blue Cross/Blue Shield policy has been excellent and quite comprehensive in the past and paid everything for the medical personnel involved. I was shocked, therefore, to receive a bill from the hospital for almost $26,000. It seems our insurance covered everything except the appliances (I assume the rods and anchoring devices). The charge for the titanium components was more than $25,000 and the insurance only paid $600. We sure wern't expecting this and didn't make any provision for that kind of cost, especially with my son starting college in the fall. Is this normal? Do the titanium components REALLY cost that much? If so, WHY? Thanks for any help you can provide.
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