thank you for any and all information
rethink

120,000 out the door, including follow up. Got the bill in my hand. Well not now cause I'm typing, but you know what I mean ;)tipsyturtle wrote:I read that Dr. Dake in San fran was charging 90,000US but that insurance covered it - or most of it for many of the people who had the procedure last fall.
As well it should be, they don't call it "medical tourism" for nothing!greenandchic wrote:Well, shoot. Now I'm confused with the actual cost. My estimate to have it done in Poland is much lower...
That's what I said but they did! They have a contract for instance with LabONe, where I went to get blood draws for the INR readings post procedure, their final payout to Lab One, PER draw, was like 7 bucks. I don't know how they can possibly even cover the overhead with that. My insurance is very very cheap in what they pay out, but contract is contract so I don't worry about it, they are very solvent, and in fact (sit down everyone!) lowered our COBRA this year to 606 from 639. Yes, they actually LOWERED what we pay for COBRA. They are so solvent in fact, they are loaning money to the retirement fund to bolster it, following the losses in the equity markets over the past few years.greenandchic wrote:Thanks for the clarification! I guess I never expected my insurance company to pay to have it done in the US (or anywhere) anyway. I guess that's why I was so shocked at the cost.
Please remember (and this is especially for our non-US members) that this is the cost that gets billed to insurance, no one pays that much. In the US they play a game where insurance companies are billed very large costs, but then they pay the approved rate. I have seen doctor bills for $500 where my insurance pays the doctor $50 and he is happy. Any doctors/hospitals who participate in an insurance companys plan has to agree up front to accept the negotiated rate.tipsyturtle wrote:I read that Dr. Dake in San fran was charging 90,000US but that insurance covered it - or most of it for many of the people who had the procedure last fall.