I just received a statement from my insurnace company and they were charged $75.000 for my lapband surgery. It was totally laproscopic, it was done at a surgery center as opposed to a hospital, i was only there for a few hours. My surgery was done in California. My portion of the bill only amounts to around $3,800 but still. Has anyone ever heard of the surgery being this high?

NEVER!! I thought mine was outrageous charging $25K. I would call the surgeon on that and ask why so high?? THey are gouging!!

No, check out the poll on what did you pay for your lap band, That bill is in error, Ask the billing dept from the surgery center for an itemized bill where it list all the items used including paper clips Ha. Then you can see why the charge is so high and contest it. This is outrageous!!

Holy crow. That really sounds like three times what it should have been, even allowing for the high prices in CA. Hospital markups can be 500% of the actual cost, which is how a three-hour surgery gets to be $25,000. But $75,000?? That sounds like your insurer should contest it. Luckily, YOU aren't responsible for that.

Of course, your carrier will pay whatever the negotiated rate for these services is in your network. That $75K figure is meaningless in the real world--it's not what they would actually charge someone and it's not what they're going to collect from your insurer. It may be academic, but it would be an interesting exercise to see how they arrived at this grotesquely inflated figure.

My surgery was done in a hospital w/an over night stay. The bill was $33,000. I had to pay $1,300. IMHO even $33k is sick for what they did.

They gave me no food, just some meds after surgery and no water until the next day (oh and a grumpy nasty old bag that kept me awake all night).

Most of the surgery cost I have cheked out is around 16,500. Hospital, doctor and all. That is in Arkansas. (USA)

Was the $3,800 your portion of the $75,000? If so DEFINITELY contest it!

I spoke to my insurer and actually read her some of the replies to this thread and she laughed and said that since the Dr. was not "in their network" he could charge, pretty much, whatever he wants. I have an itemized acount of the charges, check this out:

Pharmacy (one prescription of vicodin)..............$750.00!!

Surgical Supplies...........................................$5,468.00

General Operating Room Services.....................$68.782.00!!!

It makes me sick to see anyone, much less the person who is providing my follow up care, behave this way. Maybe I am missing something but this just seems like pure greed!

I am still going to talk to the surgery center about this.

DJ,

The bill for my surgery was 46K. The negotiated rate came out to 19K of which I paid 2K. The numbers really dont mean anything. Doesnt matter if doc is out of network or not. Negotiated rate is negotiated rate if he took your insurance. Your out of pocket sounds ridiculous though. Are you sure that your amount is correct? Just curious....

Babs in TX

334/18-/170

-150 ish or more

6/23/03

This doctor is unconscionable!! He is one of the many reasons insurance is so bloody high in this country. This doctor should be EXPOSED! And the insurance company should be exposed for not caring that the charge was exorbitant! It affects us all indirectly. Gerry

Did this bill come from the hospital or the doctor? I'd imagine that "general operating room services" isn't just the doctor, that's the hospital charge as well. Can they break that down further? There should be be a separate item for the surgeon(s), assistant(s), and anaesthesiologist(s) fees. Then there's likely radiology and facility charges. (I think the band itself would be included under "surgical supplies.")

mine was 33k, my portion of it was 750-1,000k.

bill wasn't even that high! It totals only 66K for a 7 hour surgery with 5 doctor team, 3 days in PICU and two other in hospital and blood and RSV shot! many xrays, blood work, and four echo cardiograms!

Her 11 day stay for pneumonia was only 45K and most of that in PICU with a few xrays and echos' and such!

Sorry I think that something is wacked out!

But I found out my copauy at the oral surgeon was more than if I had lied and said I didn't have insurance ($430 vs 290$) so nothing surprises me!

My insurance was charged over 25,000 and I have paid out of pocket about 1000.00.

I just my Medicare statement and they were billed $54,980. My out of pocket was $2000. Could not be lieve it but if they are willing to pay, I say go for it!

My surgery was $33,000 only had to pay my $5.00 co-pay to the surgeon. Thank goodness!