Urine Cytology Costs ... !

I sure hope you went ahead and got the test. For anyone else reading this thread I thought it maybe helpful to know that you can call the insurance company with the billing code and find out an estimate of what will be paid and what you'd owe. Prepaying for tests at the full price rate when they know exactly what their contract rate is with each insurance company is one of my pet peeves. Especially when it can take 6 to 12 months to get a refund from the provider. Aetna's bulletin regarding coverage for FISH, etc., is "Clinical Policy Bulletin: Tumor Markers Number 0352"

Tom. Are you saying that your insurance does not cover the tests and you are asked to pay the full amount? As I said before you can negotiate a lower price more in line with what insurance companies pay.
I am concerned about canceling the FISH test as it is an important diagnostic tool that should be used more often than it is.

It is not the government that is paying all the high fees it is the consumers without insurance and the profit making insurance companies. Julie

LeeH

You perfectly make my point. They try to get the $1200 from those who don't know what the correct (market price) currently is! The fact that they would reduce a fee by 50% in your case, should tell everyone ... THEY ARE OVERCHARGING.
True evidence of this can be seen on every corner of America. We have all seen in this RECESSION... the only thing new businesses opening on EVERY corner are :
1: Hospitals
2: Urgent care Centers
3: Pharmacies
ALL paid for with government $ (our tax $). Do you see???

Tom

My hospital charges were reduced by nearly 50%. No one is paying any hidden charges. Kind of like buying a car. There is the sticker price and what we really pay is what it is negotiated down to.

Lee H, Thanks for the reply, truly appreciate it.

I Just cannot "relax" when somone tells me I owe them $1200 for a procedure only to find out (through research and effort) that the going rate is really $120. We are not talking about walking into Walmart to buy whatever. That is easily comparable to the K-Mart down the road. This involves very secretive charges that most Anericans just blindly sign off on BECAUSE they are not individually paying the bill. THAT IS WRONG.

Now the really sick part..... That high (and hidden) bill is paid by you and me in taxes. Again.. THAT IS WRONG. Ok........ I am stepping down from my podium now and need to be more concerned about living for a while longer with bladder cancer... but shit like this just bothers me. Maybe the old adage.. "Follow the money trail and the truth always prevails" really applies to the healthcare field. Seems broken to me.

Tom

Relax. Its kind of a dance. The charges are more than they should be and the insurance payments are less than they should be. so they meet somewhere in the middle.

The Dr. will also get any increases the insurance company approves too. If he charged $200 for a cytology, I guarantee you he wouldnt even get that.

Although I don't know what it is now, a subsantial component of that charge goes to pay malpractice insurance costs. That is the price we pay for suing for every damn little thing and for the ludicrous jury awards and the $5oo an hour lawyers.

Leeh