Shock - $3600 for ONE sleep study? Can this be right?

[Sir NoddinOff]

Somewhere or somehow I got it in my head that my sleep study was going to cost $600. I thought, hmmmm, that's pretty reasonable! Imagine my shock when I got a copy of the insurance invoice in the mail and it said $3600. Can this be right?

It was a crappy study because the tech was 40 minutes late getting me prepped, so I had less than seven hours to comply with the required sleep goals (mandatory out the door by 6:00am); there was a compressor on the roof that had blown bearings and shrieked every fifteen minutes all night long, plus the room was just an ordinary office with a smallish pull down bed. They advertised Sleep Number beds and lots of nice extras but I never saw them! On the plus side the bathroom was very clean and the tech was super nice, tho a bit stressed.

Anyone care to comment? Is this typical?

[Scobar]

That's what mine cost. I think the agreed upon rate between the Doc and the insurance company was around $2700.

I didn't have any of the problems you did, mine was in a brand new sleep clinic at one of the local hospitals and ran right on time.

[zoocrewphoto]

Mine was over $6,000!

My share of it is over $1000. I am glad that I did not know the price before, or I might not have done it. And I am glad I did. It was a very good experience, and I definitely needed it. But it will take me a year to pay it off, and that doesn't include my machine and two full face masks.

I was told to arrive at 8pm, I was in bed before 11pm. And they woke me up at 8am. I did a split study, and my tech was great. I actually slept well with the machine for the second part, and I chose the mask that she fitted me with since she fitted me so well. I had a sleep number bed, though I confess I never played with the numbers.

[greatunclebill]

the price on everything is inflated so your price is probably not out of line. however, it is nowhere near what your insurance will actually pay.

on my wife's split study, the first night the bill was $4500 and insurance paid 650 and we paid zero. on the titration study they billed 4100 and insurance paid 680 and we paid zero. that's where your $600 thinking is coming from.

[tigrpal]

Mine was a billed at $4700 but the allowed amount was $2247. With deductible and copay I paid $850 out of pocket.

[avi123]

Also see this Poll:

How much did your sleep study cost?

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=40605&p=535776&hili ... ll#p535776

[Cereal Killer]

http://clearhealthcosts.com/how-much-do ... tudy-cost/

[Al Peena]

i want to say my study was $5200? Sorry yours was bad, I have had 2 and both were pretty good- nice chain hotel, bed was comfy, techs were both nice, continental bfast the next day, I woulndn't mind one every few months! My ins. luckily covered it however ($30 copay if I recall?)

[So Well]

i want to say my study was $5200? Sorry yours was bad, I have had 2 and both were pretty good- nice chain hotel, bed was comfy, techs were both nice, continental bfast the next day, I woulndn't mind one every few months! My ins. luckily covered it however ($30 copay if I recall?)

A perfect example of why socialized medicine is always a disaster.

Spending other people's money ...

[msradar65]

I had two studies done at free standing sleep lab run by one of the local hospitals. They were $2600 a piece..however my insurance did not pay that much and my part was $465. The labs were very nice. Queen size luxury Charleston Rice beds that you need the little steps to get the bed, Luxury linins, Private bath, satellite TV. Looked like a fancy bedroom or hotel room. They placed a fan in the room because I sleep with a fan. Even brought me warm blankets. The tech was very knowledgeable and friendly.

No complaints...I would recommend them in a heartbeat.

[chunkyfrog]

The BCBCNE approved price of each of my 2 studies was in the area of $950-$1100.
Quiet, clean--not posh (shared bathroom, shower with 'hotel' soap, towels, etc.)
For the $$, I might suggest a bit of coffee and a muffin.
I have friends with a very lovely B&B that is a heckuva lot cheaper.
--Aren't they all?

[Janknitz]

If they are billing the insurance $3600, the amount is pure fiction. The insurer already has a set amount that is the allowable fee (it may be different for each insurer), and whether or not you pay all (if you haven't met your deductible) or a part of the insurance allowable price or not depends on your insurance policy. 20% is common, but it depends.

You will not have to make up the difference between the full billed amount and the insurance approved amount in most cases, just the difference between the amount the insurer paid as a percentage of the allowable amount and the remainder of the allowable amount.

If you're paying out of pocket that's another story entirely. It sounds like they didn't fully disclose the costs to you beforehand and you have the basis for a complaint.

[ekubaskie]

Reading about the decor, the bed, the HVAC... no wonder you got off so cheap!

The place I went billed $4,400 for the first night (no titration) and $5,000 for the second night "hosed up". The insurance company's contract discount took each down by about $750.

[BostonGal]

Sounds about right to me. My first one was $3100 and the second one (titration) was $3500. Both were brought down to 1870 and I had to pay 10% for each study (I had already met my 1600 deductible for the year). Not to mention the doctor's charge to read the reports $600 brought down to about 225 each. Plus I never even saw a sleep doctor! I was referred by my Primary. And not to mention the supplies (which at 10% are pretty reasonable)...however I only get one mask every 6 months, so I see some out of pocket expenses coming to try some different masks.

I went to a suburban Boston hospital that does the sleep studies at the local Marriot. I have a few minor complaints I could make, but I would certainly recommend them to others...since I felt they had a strong techs...comfortable hotel room...and a free starbucks coffee and muffin!!!!

I had sticker shock too, but glad I did it...even though I am still waiting for the miracle. A month in and I can't sleep more than 3-4 hours at a time. Very fragmented sleep. I know I need this...but I miss sleeping 8 hours in a row (even if I did stop breathing 37 times a hour).

[LSAT]

i want to say my study was $5200? Sorry yours was bad, I have had 2 and both were pretty good- nice chain hotel, bed was comfy, techs were both nice, continental bfast the next day, I woulndn't mind one every few months! My ins. luckily covered it however ($30 copay if I recall?)

A perfect example of why socialized medicine is always a disaster.

Spending other people's money ...

Agree 100%