I just went on line and saw the first bill my Dr. sent my insurance for a fill. The bill was $3750.00! My fill only last about 7 minutes. CRAZY. Has anyone else seen a fill cost this much?

sdweetcalichic - I could see the higher cost if the fill was done under xray, but it's not.

I go in

step on the scale

take my bp

DR comes in and asks:

having problems with food?

any heartburn?

food getting stuck?

Then he decides if i need a fill or not

Fill take 30 seconds

I drink Water and leave

I'm in the room a total of 8 minutes and 5 of those minutes are waiting

Same here.

Only supplies used is 1 syringe, 1cc saline(maybe) 1 cup water, and the paper on the exam table.

All of that for a $30 co-pay.

So easy a Caveman can do it!

What a doctor bills an insurance company is not what he gets paid. My surgeon charged my insurance $32,000 for my surgery. I know he didn't get paid anywhere near that.

I work at a hospital...it all has to with insurance and what gets paid. If a doctor sends in a charge to the insurance for $500, then he would only get paid $50. It's a crazy system but that is how it works.

Yikes, having gotten the health fund statements detailing all my cancer treatment, your fills cost MORE than my radiation treatments for rectal cancer - in a specialised radiation centre, overseen by a radiation oncologist, administered by two qualified staff using one of only several machines available in the entire state of Victoria (Australia).

Something stinks, lol. Either your doctor is a crook or someone's made a typo.

I mean it works the same here pretty much, there's a scheduled fee for a doctors service (for my colorectal surgeon its $68). He charges more like $150. Surgeons and doctors always charge more than what the cost to you is here, our Medicare scheme refunds the scheduled fee and we pay the difference out of our pocket, our health funds are more for hospital costs and extras like dental. But I find it very very hard to see how someone can charge that for a fill compared to something like radiation treatments. I'd be leaving the country before the entire health care system collapses!

I found out the hard way that my doctor bills about $2400 for a fill under floro. I had my first two fills performed before I heard from my insurance company stating that the fills are not a covered benefit and I would have to pay for them. Since then I am self-pay for the fills at $350 a pop.

I couldn't believe that they would allow me to self-pay $350 but will charge an insurance company $2400 for the same procedure. No wonder our health insurance is really expensive here in the states!

Well since the Insurance Company only pays the Dr. a piece of what he is billing for.....

Then we should only have to pay a piece to the Ins. Company, instead of increases...

Makes sense to me...

It's not unusual for medical billing to have mistakes. They code the procedures a certain way and sometimes the medical assistant puts in the wrong code. Call and ask about the bill and then call the insurance company and explain. I once had a hospital bill with numerous mistakes. They billed the insurance company for medications and procedures I did not have. There was over billing of several thousand dollars. I called the hospital and insurance company. The insurance company thanked me. I always go over any medical bills with a fine tooth comb. (I'm an RN). This is an example of why insurance company premiums are increasing.

Hey...I'm an RN, too and use to work Oncology...lots of Port-a-caths...maybe we can do our own fills!!!!!!!!!!!

sdweetcalichic - I could see the higher cost if the fill was done under xray, but it's not.

I go in

step on the scale

take my bp

DR comes in and asks:

having problems with food?

any heartburn?

food getting stuck?

Then he decides if i need a fill or not

Fill take 30 seconds

I drink water and leave

I'm in the room a total of 8 minutes and 5 of those minutes are waiting

Your fills sound like mine. Quick and to the point. Don't think it should be so much. My insurance paid for first 2 fills, then one fill every six months. If I get one before the six months I pay 150. I paid 1,000 for my surgery out of pocket. Banding hasn't cost me that much yet. My Dr is in network.