[quote=bearishgurl][quote=FlyerInHi][quote=CA renter]Great to hear it’s not cancer in both of your cases. 🙂
Yeah, it takes a while for the biopsy site to heal, but it’s always a good idea to get anything unusual checked out.[/quote]
FYI, insurance was charged $1198 for biopsy. I think you estimated $500.
I hate going to the doctor’s and using up resources for nothing, when I gain nothing.
I don’t see why people are so uptight about discussing medical costs. They should not be so opaque.[/quote]
Ironic that you posted this, FIH, and my Blue Shield file is sitting right here on my desk!
My ins was actually charged $578 for two visits plus a biopsy. But the EOB’s and bills indicate that $144.40 was pd by my ins co (per contract) and I paid $88.38 in copays/coinsurance for a total of $232.78.
Medical providers always charge a lot when they code procedures/visits for billing purposes but end up settling for the contracted amount from the carrier, whatever that may be. The rest is the responsibility of the patient.[/quote]
Brian, that is pure insanity! My family has a very high melanoma risk, so I am on a six-month exam schedule and often have at least one biopsy a year. You are being robbed.
I’m looking at my dermatologist bill right now, and the office visit was *billed* at $114; first biopsy at $168.00; and second biopsy at $51.00. The Blue Cross adjustment was ~$178.88, and they paid $113.97 with a $20 co-pay and $20.15 co-insurance payment from me.
Summary: $40.15 paid by me, and $113.97 paid by Blue Cross for the exam and two biopsies. Total of $154.12.
The dermatologist billed $306.00 for the pathology exam for these two specimens. Blue Cross adjustment of $113.30 and payment of $154.16. Co-insurance paid by me was $38.54.
Summary: $192.70 for pathology for *two* specimens
Total cost for full-body exam, and biopsy/pathology exam for TWO sites was $346.82.
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And, yes, I could not agree more about the need for **fully transparent** pricing for medical care. What they do now is totally unjustifiable from a business perspective, not to mention completely unethical and immoral.
