Sleep Center charges.... off the wall!

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 8:36 am

It's a room like a hotel but with a lot of electronics and a computer and software. i bet the equipment is paid for the first day they are open. They use a tech not a doctor. YHou would think at these rates they would at least make it the ritz and a wonderful experience so we wouild like the expereince.

sthnreb · Post by **sthnreb** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 8:57 am

twistedcherokee wrote:Since I did not have ins I paid 1000.00. The normal price if I had ins was going to be 2400.00. Makes you wonder doesn't it.

Toby

It sure does. Doesn't it seem it should be the same regardless if you have insurance or not unless medical facilities simply soak insurance companies? I know you were glad to get a reduced price. Charging insurance companies more is a major cause for rising insurance premiums.

rested gal · Post by **rested gal** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:01 am

Some links to interesting reading about keeping soaring medical costs down for people with plain, garden variety OSA:

A study done in 2002:
Can Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Titrate Their Own Continuous Positive Airway Pressure? Michael F. Fitzpatrick, Christi E. D. Alloway, Tracy M. Wakeford, Alistair W. MacLean, Peter W. Munt and Andrew G. Day.
Departments of Medicine and Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada

A doctor who is board certified in both pulmonology and sleep medicine gave a Powerpoint presentation at a
meeting of the American Lung Association of the Central Coast:
"Not Every Patient Needs To Go To the Sleep Lab" by Barbara Phillips, M.D. MSPH, FCCP

Dr. Phillips is:
Professor, Division of Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Director of the Samaritan Sleep Center
Department of Internal Medicine
University of KY College of Medicine
Lexington, KY

ProfessorSleep · Post by **ProfessorSleep** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:35 am

I should have added that I have an HMO. The charges were over $4000, but I know the HMO didn't pay nearly that much. The real rouse is that people without insurance get slammed for the full amount in most cases. Because I have health coverage, they accept a discounted amount.

I like the idea of a let's do it ourselves shop! This forum is evidence that users really need experienced people to help out with their treatment, not just in the beginning but on an ongoing basis. Wouldn't we rather go to a clinic run by people with SDB rather than one run by people who don't understand?

sleepyred · Post by **sleepyred** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:46 am

Kind of off topic - but when I did not have dental insurance and had to have 4 crowns - I asked my dentist for a "deal". He said okay - 4 for the price of 3. I am going to ask my ENT the same about allergy shots. He will not be on my new insurance, but I don't want to "start over again" which will cost the insurance company much, much more than just to accept what he is doing and pay the lesser amount. Go figure!

IMHO - it never hurts to bargain or just ask!

My DME was going to give me a huge break if I could not get coverage. now that I have coverage - they are charging the insurance company a huge amount! Whew!

sthnreb · Post by **sthnreb** » Sun Oct 09, 2005 9:46 am

Even with HMO's and PPO's one has to be careful. They agree on a lower amount, but be careful the facility doesn't charge you the co-pay of the full amount and not the reduced amount. I got into that once. I had dual coverage at the time and between the two, they had already over paid the set amount by about $800. Yet, the hospital was billing me for over $1200 as my part. I called them and they cleared it up. Naturally, the overpayment was not refunded. I even notified my insurance company of the overpayment.

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