Colonoscopy costs?

[Texas Proud]

OK... now that I am over 50 ish... I think it is time to do the deed...

BUT, I want to put some money on the flex spending account to cover the costs...

What has a colonoscopy cost you Not the out of pocket, but the total that was after insurance deductions. (we have a $4,000 deductible)...

 

[zinger1457]

Just checked my insurance statements and the doctor submitted charges totaling about $1500 for mine. With the help of good drugs the procedure is painless and hopefully uneventful.

 

[Coach]

Mine, done just four months ago, was $1254 which includes pathology on a single polyp. $550 for the doc, $450 for the facility and the rest for lab.

Coach

 

[Texas Proud]

Thanks... I will throw an additional $1500 on the card which should cover it...

 

[vicente solano]

They gave me a sedative. Dozed off halfway through the procedure But the three days befoire the operation were obnoxious...drinking all that cr*p and the diet/fasting

 

[teejayevans]

They gave me a sedative. Dozed off halfway through the procedure But the three days befoire the operation were obnoxious...drinking all that cr*p and the diet/fasting

I'm curious, what was the after effects, ie could you drive home afterwards?
TJ

 

[Orchidflower]

I had one yesterday! Nobody wants to do one of these, but DO IT! My Grandma was one who wouldn't let herself be checked and she died of colon Cancer. Since I was with her some before she died, I know how painful it was for her. Who needs that? The exam is alot easier.


Here is the experience:

I intentionally ate less a few days before knowing I would go thru one fasting day with only liquids. You can drink any clear liquid you want during the fast like broth, water, soda pop, juice. I drank glasses of Welch's grape juice by the glassful. Amazingly, no hunger pains at all despite the lack of solid food.
Then you have to drink 2 - 4 cups at a time of this thick sweet/tart smelling stuff and drink one cup every 15 minutes till all gone and follow it off with 16 oz. of clear liquid of your choice (again, grape juice for me).
Do yourself a favor and count the swallows to get thru the cups. Makes it go down easier I found when I had the "end" to look forward to. I tried to make a game of it (we all figure ways to survive a bad experience).
Make sure you DO NOT let any of the liquid come back up as they told me alot of folks vomit some of it up. Not good...and Lord only knows you don't want to go thru it all again.
I started the fast in the morning when I woke up and then I started the meds at 5 pm. Luckily, all that bathroom time tired me out and I hit the sack at 8:30 pm only to have to wake up and do it again at 2 a.m. I was allowed nothing at all (even water) after 3:30 am. Then I had the first appointment at 7 a.m.
Do yourself a favor and get the first appointment, because you will probably want to eat sometime the next day so soon as you can.
STAY NEAR A TOILET!!! AND HAVE PLENTY OF TOILET PAPER AT THE READY!!! And I'm not kidding about that one. I'm amazed neighbors weren't banging on our door or cattle didn't bray from 50 miles away I was so loud.
After I drank the full 4 cups of medicine and 2 cups of grape juice following both times, it took me about 2 hours to completely get it out of my system. Just plan not to take any naps.


I had a colonoscopy 23 years ago and, because I enjoyed it so, didn't do one again until this week.

NO, you may NOT drive home if they put you to sleep, which they did me. You will be woozy, and they won't let you drive yourself home. A nurse even held my arm as she walked me to my son's car who was my ride home.
After this whole thing, I wasn't tired or sick or anything. Over and done with.

The hardest part of this whole event is drinking the medicine fast enough but not so fast as it comes up again. Everything else is no big deal.

I'm thinking that this is around $1,200, but my insurance picks it up. If I find out, I'll post.

ENJOY!!!!

(...and think how relieved you will be when the Dr. says you are "looking good!" like mine did.)

(Oh, and they want you to come back every 5 years...how's that for good news?)

 

[Moemg]

I have to agree with Orchid . Get the first or close to the first appointment . My appointment was for 2:45 but they got backed up and I was not started until 4:30 . I was so hungry . I wanted to bite the doctor . I drank white grape juice with my prep and just the sight of it now makes me gag .

 

[audreyh1]

Looks like DH paid $1,834.43 for combination colonoscopy + endoscopy in Oct of 2008. This was within his deductible so we paid for it all!

I think any pre-procedure visits were covered by our preventive coverage/co-pay.

Audrey

 

[WhoDaresWins]

$1500.00 sounds like a good ballpark figure if I remember correctly from the insurance statements that followed my procedure last year. The procedure is a breeze as I was drugged to the gills. The prep the day before is a moving experience. Yes indeed. Follow the advice listed on this thread and stay real close to the bathroom and wear easy to pull down or up or whatever clothes. I ate banana popsicles between swigs of the prep and would be loathe to eat another any time soon. I was told to come back in 3 years due to my family history(mother died of colon CA).

 

[ls99]

I'm curious, what was the after effects, ie could you drive home afterwards?
TJ

In my case the nurse inquired before the procedure about having a person drive me home. Yup, DW at chauffeur.

If I had driven myself after the look/see it would have been done without anesthesia.


Pick you choice.

 

[zinger1457]

I'm curious, what was the after effects, ie could you drive home afterwards?
TJ

Not only would they not let me drive home they made me sign a document stating that I understood I would be under the influence of drugs and would not drive for 24 hours after the procedure. They stated you could get charged with a DUI if involved in an accident or stopped for other reasons.

 

[Orchidflower]

Yup, agree: ez to pull down and up pants are a must! Otherwise, definitely expect some accidents.

I had it without anesthesia the first time. You CAN'T move--heaven only knows how many times the Dr. told me before and during not to move, cause if he hits your intestine with the probe you can kiss it goodbye (people have died from it)--but it's really not painful at all. Honest Injun!

 

[ls99]

I have and will always pass on the conscious experience.

 

[Free To Canoe]

I did not have any idea how much it would cost. After searching on the internet, I had a vague idea that it would be over $1000. Decided to cancel when I found out that it would be all out of pocket with my high deductable insurance.

Took my mother in for one last month. The doctor said that he would do it for what the insurance company gets, $300-$400. I am interested in doing this but now I am having second thoughts because the number seems way too low compared to others on the post. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Free to canoe

 

[harley]

Do you have to get a full colonoscopy? When I turned 50 I got a Sigmoidoscopy, which while it was still not fun was significantly easier (and probably cheaper) than the whole nine yards.

My PCP said that since I didn't have any history of it, and since supposedly if you don't have abnormalities in the lower colon you're very unlikely to have them in the upper, there was no real need to go for the colonoscopy. They also did a Fecal Occult Blood Test, which improves the odds that they'll pick up any problems. I'm not a doc, so maybe some recently ESRed person with a lot of time on their hands will chime in. If I'm wrong I should probably go back in to get the big test.

 

[WhoDaresWins]

Harley, I believe colonoscopy is considered the gold standard test as it visualizes the entire colon. There is nothing to it really as you are knocked out completely in most cases. I had friend take me to mine as an out-patient at the local hospital, and I returned the favor when she got hers.

 

[teejayevans]

I ASSUME, if they find any polyps, they remove them at that time, so you don't have to go through that again. But it sounds like they just grap a sample and you will have to do it again is biopsy is positive.
TJ

 

[Moemg]

Who Dares to Win is correct .The Colonoscopy is the gold standard . I did procrastinate on mine (nurses are the worst ) and waited until 59 . The prep is awful but the test is nothing . Thanks to the miracle of drugs !

 

[Moemg]

I ASSUME, if they find any polyps, they remove them at that time, so you don't have to go through that again.
TJ

They do . I worked in an Endoscopy( Colonoscopy & EGD ) clinic for several years.

 

[nwsteve]

Be sure you check with your insurer for coverage possibilities. We also have a high deductible (3500) but our coverage includes preventive carewhich includes colonoscopy if you have a family history. HOWEVER, if they do find and remove a polyp(s), the preventive suddenly becomes surgery and your treatment gets a different rate and subject to your deductibles. I had to pay 20% of the procedure cost.
Skeptic me, not so sure the doc did not want to earn a few extra bucks and found something close enough to be a polyp to qualify. My original colonoscopy five years ago had no polyps and we have a very low fat, high fiber diet.
nwsteve

 

[Stevewc]

Isn't this forum just great?
Seems we can discuss our Inter most, or was that enter most, deep dark secrets !!! With the whole Internet world.
Full disclosure: I'm thinking about getting the old colon checked out too.
I figure I worked thirty years to earn my pension, so I need to do my best to stay healthy so I can draw those monthly checks for over thirty years to break even.
Steve

 

[Buckeye]

I searched "colonoscopy" on Healthcarebluebook.com. In my zip code the estimated charges are:

Colonoscopy (no Biopsy)

Physician Services: $470
Facility Services: $373
Anesthesia Services: $433

Total: $1,276

Colonoscopy (with Biopsy)

Physician Services: $836
Facility Services: $373
Anesthesia Services: $433

Total: $1,643

 

[tapper]

I had one in February. The total submitted to insurance was $4342 of which insurance paid $2241 and I paid $349. I had a full set of biopsies done as well with pathology and lab work, which is included in the costs listed (about 20% of the cost).

 

[Orchidflower]

Here's a shocker: The Gastroenterology clinic calls yesterday to check-up and see if all was fine (no blood coming out, fever), but they made a point to tell me "you were nice and clean, which makes it so much easier for the Dr." Are you telling me that some people don't follow the Drs. instructions and clean their colon out totally, because they ate something or didn't take their meds? Ewwwwww....yuk!
Moemg probably knows the answer to this one.