Author Topic: General Surgery Costs  (Read 21604 times)

HeadCase2

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Re: General Surgery Costs
« Reply #15 on: April 24, 2006, 06:49:24 am »
  Wow, how much is that per pound?! :D

Rob
1.5 X 1.0 cm AN- left side
Retrosigmoid 2/9/06
Duke Univ. Hospital

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Robquinn9

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Re: General Surgery Costs
« Reply #16 on: April 24, 2006, 06:07:37 pm »
We've had the 2nd surgery bills hit and are up to about $75,000 now I'd say
Wife had 2.8 x 2.5 Rt Side AN removed by Dr. House, Dr. Payner @ St. Vincents in Indy on 3/13/2006.

ppearl214

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Re: General Surgery Costs
« Reply #17 on: April 24, 2006, 06:53:54 pm »
We've had the 2nd surgery bills hit and are up to about $75,000 now I'd say

*mouth drops to floor!* :o :o :o

Pls give Amy a BIG hug from us!!!!!! :)
Phyl
"Gentlemen, I wash my hands of this weirdness", Capt Jack Sparrow - Davy Jones Locker, "Pirates of the Carribbean - At World's End"

Larry

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Re: General Surgery Costs
« Reply #18 on: April 25, 2006, 08:25:25 am »
As they say down under - Cor blimey.

No wonder you guys need insurance and can't afford it on your own.

My op (in Oz) which was on the expensive side coz I had 2 surgeons was around $10k including 4 days in hospital.

Gammaknife treatment is FREE.

Come join us in the land down under as the good ship Princess batty wench sails around the sunburnt country.

Laz
2.0cm AN removed Nov 2002.
Dr Chang St Vincents, Sydney
Australia. Regrowth discovered
Nov 2005. Watch and wait until 2010 when I had radiotherapy. 20% shrinkage and no change since - You beauty
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http://www.frappr.com/laz

Jim Scott

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Re: General Surgery Costs
« Reply #19 on: July 05, 2006, 12:33:03 pm »
It appears as if everyone's situation is different, depending on your medical insurance, where you live and what physician(s)/hospital you use.  Here are the financal details of my experience having a large AN tumor removed:

My highly experienced surgeon and his very capable female assistant billed my insurance company about $28,000. - total - for a 9 hour, very effective AN removal surgery.  While that is quite reasonable, considering the extensive surgical skills needed, my astute, adult son pointed out that it still comes to $3,000. per hour  I reminded him that it was well worth it to me and would be, even if I didn't have any medical insurance.  They did a great job.

The anesthesiologist charged about $7,000. and the ICU was $5,000 + meds,  per day.  A 'regular' room was $3,000 per day, plus meds. I was in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit four days and a 'regular' room for a bit less than a day.  My total bill - doctors and hospital + meds and miscellaneous charges was around $90,000.  My pre-op tests (MRI, CAT scan, blood tests, primary physician check-up)) ran around $9,000, total.   Blue Cross 'discounted' much of that total and paid about half, which the doctors, hospital and labs accepted as payment in full, according to their contract with BC.

With my Blue Cross medical insurance I am only responsible for less than 10% of most of these bills (zero - on some of them once I met my annual deductable). The MRI cost is over $5000. per scan but BC again 'discounted' some of that and the MRI facility has agreed to take small monthy payments from me to pay off my portion of the bill, (10%) so the financial burden, while unexpected and unwanted, is not too onerous and makes my annual  $2200. premium for my medica over the next year l coverage look like a much better deal than I ever realized.  A serious surgery and a hospital stay in ICU will have that effect.  :)
« Last Edit: September 15, 2006, 04:16:28 pm by Jim Scott »
4.5 cm AN diagnosed 5/06.  Retrosigmoid surgery 6/06.  Follow-up FSR completed 10/06.  Tumor shrinkage & necrosis noted on last MRI.  Life is good. 

Life is not the way it's supposed to be. It's the way it is.  The way we cope with it is what makes the difference.

Joef

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Re: General Surgery Costs
« Reply #20 on: July 05, 2006, 01:52:08 pm »

After all, it is Brain Surgery , do you want a union min. wage worker doing it ? I did not think so  ;)
4 cm AN/w BAHA Surgery @House Ear Clinic 08/09/05
Dr. Brackmann, Dr. Hitselberger, Dr. Stefan and Dr. Joni Doherty
1.7 Gram Gold Eye weight surgery on 6/8/07 Milford,CT Hospital

Sue

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Re: General Surgery Costs
« Reply #21 on: July 05, 2006, 02:10:53 pm »
Actually, I would have thought the surgery would have been much higher. My GK was $66,000. And it's FREE in Australia?  Cor Blimey is right!!
Sue in Vancouver, USA
 2 cm Left side
Diagnosed 3/13/06 GK 4-18-06
Gamma Knife Center of Oregon
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http://suecollins-blog.blogspot.com/2010/02/hello.html


The only good tumor be a dead tumor. Which it's becoming. Necrosis!
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Larry

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Re: General Surgery Costs
« Reply #22 on: July 05, 2006, 04:47:08 pm »
One of the major reasons for the high cost of medical treatment in the U.S (apart from greed) is insurance.

Even in Oz where medical litigation is very rare, insurance costs are around 25% of income for surgeons.

Jim, I think your annual insurance bill is cheap and I agree with Joef - it is brain surgery and the alternative is - well, if it aint attacked, it will eventually kill you so .....  don't need to say anything else really.


Laz
2.0cm AN removed Nov 2002.
Dr Chang St Vincents, Sydney
Australia. Regrowth discovered
Nov 2005. Watch and wait until 2010 when I had radiotherapy. 20% shrinkage and no change since - You beauty
Chronologer of the PBW
http://www.frappr.com/laz

Rc Moser

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Re: General Surgery Costs
« Reply #23 on: July 08, 2006, 10:27:43 pm »
Mine cost $178,000, took little over 18 hours, and spent about 6 days in recovery. (stroke ward). Luckily the hospital had an agreement and accepted what the insurance paid, about 130.000. With follow-up appiontments and eye wash. I probably paid $4000 out of pocket. The system worked for me and I had no problems with the care. Luckily I can still work and keep my insurance incase something else is needed. Like gas it's probably not going to get any cheaper EVER!
9/17/03, 4.5CM, Translab, OU Medical Center, Dr. (the ear man) Saunders and Dr. B. (the BrainMAN) Wilson  along with about 4 other Doctors that keep me going for 18 hours.

okiesandy

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Re: General Surgery Costs
« Reply #24 on: September 13, 2006, 03:23:05 pm »
Tell Rita with Dr. Brackmann's office and see if they will work something out. When I thought I was going to HEI my insurance would only pay as out of network.

It would have been cheaper for me to self pay than use insurance and pay out of network price. Ask what the cash price would be with out insurance.

Also, Oklahoma City doctors were quoting around $149,000 for hospital and doctors. HEI and House doctors were quite a bit less.
Go figure that one.

Sandy
Cyberknife 1/2006
Clinton Medbery III & Mary K. Gumerlock
St Anthony's Hospital
Oklahoma City, OK
Name of Tumor: Ivan (may he rest in peace)