Paid $800 for one x-ray in this household. A new machine.
How about dem apples.
We argued with the ins company. Big whoop that did.
We didn’t ask the cost up front, though, so that’s not going to happen again. I hope.
I had a tooth extraction last week. It has been 4 years since I visited this surgeon’s practice.
He had been mandated by the Feds to install state of the art monitoring equipment. This included a fancy new X-ray machine that does full mouth pics solely from the exterior. Very futuristic. Whole mouth x-rays were $110. Vitals monitors were also very futuristic. Of course, he has been forced into electronic record keeping, too.
All in all, it was evident his practice has been raped and he has had to downsize as far as staff and associates are concerned. Yet, the total cost was only about 50% over the cost in 2010 and included anesthesia.
I paid out of pocket and had no complications.
If they assume you will pay anything they assume too much. It cuts both ways.
I am fortunate. I don’t give a rip about my credit rating. If they want to take it far enough my agreement was with the hospital and not the ER doc firm. I made no contract with them and so I would argue I made not agreement to pay them.
In my case it is not the insurance company but a charge between me and the doctor.
You have a choice to ask and refuse I suppose. Charging this rate at the ER when not taking the service is a bad choice is predatory pricing. I guess our only choice in pure capitalism then is to do without and drive the price down.