Question regarding cost of Cerebral Angiography

Hi ,

Can anyone tell me what is the average cost of a cerebral angiography procedure - in either America or Europe.

Is it normal for American hospitals to charge separately for each separate procedure that goes into making up a cerebral angiography or is it more normal to give a patient an all inclusive price / global rate for a cerebral angiography.

I myself recently got an all inclusive cost estimate ( described as "global rate" ) for a cerebral angiography and then when I got the actual bill for the angiography , each of the procedures that went into the performing a cerebral angiography were billed separately and the bill was 2 1/2 times higher than the estimate !

The answer I got when I queried it was "the estimate was only an estimate" !

Hence the reason for the questions I have asked.

Thanks inadvance for any feedback anyone can give me,

Best Regards,

Pete

Hi Pete,

In the US, it's part sold separately (grin) when it comes to health care. EVERYONE who has a hand or eyes involved in your case will bill separately. It almost feels like if a DR answers his cell phone as he walks past your room, he might bill you! (just kidding, maybe).

Seriously though, you have the facility charge, the techs's charges, the DR who reads the scans, maybe other specialists, anesthesiologists, yada, yada, yada.

Best wishes,
Ron, KS

Hi Pete - When recently calling for an estimate of an angiogram - MRI with dye of the brain - the x-ray person didn't know what an angiogram was...which really didn't build my confidence any more in having it done =); she said that my Medicare insurance - only have one kind of Medicare - would pay for 80%; and the other 20% would be covered by another insurance, or in my case, out-of-pocket.

The total estimate was $4,000 with $800 out-of-pocket...this didn't include my cell phone-call, though, regarding Ron's comment =).

My bill was 20,400. This is just the bill from the hospital.

Most medical bills look like Greek to me. I do recommend to anyone who has insurance here in the US…sit down at least one a month with your ins. rep and go over the bills. You would be surprised at how many mistakes are made. Double billing errors etc!