We received an alert from friends of Lynne Smith about important news regarding the cost of a colonoscopy. While it does not make much sense that the same diagnostic procedure could differ in cost by thousands of dollars, depending on the insurance company and institution, that appears to be the case. Having a colonoscopy is without a doubt one of the best strategies a person can choose to take in cancer prevention or early detection of cancer -- but unless you are aware ahead of time of having a colonoscopy scheduled how the billing system works, you might find yourself needlessly owing thousands of dollars.
This is what happened to two of Lynne Smith's siblings. One owed nothing -- the other owed $2,600 dollars. At the Lynne Smith Fund blog, you will find valuable tips on how to keep the costs at a minimum.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) colorectal cancer is the second leading cancer killer in the U.S. For men, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after prostate cancer and lung cancer. For women, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer after breast cancer and lung cancer. The CDC has published Basic Facts on Screening available as a PDF document that includes a chart explaining the different screening procedures and estimated cost for each.
But first, visit the Lynne Smith Fund for advice on becoming an informed patient.
1. Thank you so much for featuring this important article. We can not believe the difference in billing for the same procedure and would be very interested to hear what your readers have paid and the total pre-insurance bill. Imagine one Specialist charging $13,000 for a test that most charge $1,000 - $3,000. It's time to take a stand and be informed consumers! thanks again for bringing this to the attention of people who need it. We are sure the same advise is necessary for a lot of medical testing. www.lynnesmithfund.blogspot.com
Posted at 9:03PM on Jul 26th 2006 by friend of Lynne