Colonoscopy How Expensive is it?

First lets agree that all medical and surgical procedures, like many other things in society are quite expensive. There is hope and a prudent shopper can find significant savings in almost any medical procedure by asking and shopping around a little.

As you probably know colonoscopy, although somewhat costly, plays a critical role in reducing healthcare costs by rapidly determining the diagnosis and in some cases preventing the really expensive diseases like colon cancer.

Given that reality the costs of colonoscopy can be broken up into the preoperative, operative, and postoperative costs.

Preoperative costs include the preoperative consultation with the provider of the colonoscopy. This is critical to determine the best and safest way to perform your colonoscopy and to gather your health history so any problems or concerns can be prepared for. This consultation will also reassure you about the procedure and goes a long way in preparing you psychologically for the procedure. Some laboratory tests may be needed to make sure you can go through the procedure without problems. Finally you will need to purchase colonoscopy prep from the pharmacy to clean out the colon prior to the study.

Consultation $250.00 to $350.00

Labs $50.00 to $250.00

Prep $20.00 to $100.00

Interoperative costs include the cost of the hospital or facility where the procedure is performed, professional fee of the doctor, and anesthesia charges. The hospital or facility charges include the costs of the personnel, supplies, equipment, and drugs used to perform the procedure. This cost id probable the biggest variable and where the most savings can be found. Typically the cost of the procedure in an outpatient surgery center or endoscopy center will save you or your insurance company about 50% of the cost.

Hospital Fee $4,000.00 to $6,500.00

Surgery Center $1,200.00 to $3,000.00

Doctor Fee $400.00 to $800.00

Anesthesia $125.00 to $400.00

Postoperative fees include the follow-up and discussion with the doctor about the findings. Also they include the pathology fees if a biopsy, aspiration or removal of polyp was preformed. Finally they would include any additional tests or procedures that may be required.

Follow-up Visit $0.00 to $100.00

Pathology $125.00 to $300,00

Follow-up Tests $0.00 to ......

As you can see the cost of the procedure is not cheap but the information obtained at the study can be truly life saving and overall will reduce your total healthcare costs by preventing a colon cancer and avoiding more expensive and less diagnostic studies and procedures. The overall cost of the procedure can be significantly reduced if you discuss it with your provider and look for a surgery center to have the procedure preformed.

At the Cushing Center For Colonoscopy we offer a special cash rate for uninsured and patients with high deductibles and I am sure this is available elsewhere. Don’t be afraid to ask.

Lastly Additional charges may always apply if additional procedures, removal of polyps and additional procedures are required.

Despite the cost colonoscopy is truly one of the most cost effective of the medical procedures and critical for the patients that need it. If you are over 50, notice change of bowel habits or have bleeding through the rectum the study is critical to you. Get your colonoscopy at 50 and help us stamp out colon cancer.