In Athem's newsletter to brokers they reiterated that colonoscopys done as preventative would be considered preventative even if polyps are found and removed. This has been a big bone of contention for our clients (with all the carriers). People that were planning on the colonoscopy being covered as preventative and thus having a low or no co-pay for the procedure were often shocked and horrified at the bill that would follow after the procedure. We hope the other carriers follow in this practice. Colonoscopies and the removal of polyps can run several thousand dollars. People that have large deductibles and high out of pocket maximums feel duped when they, unaware of what is taking place while they are under sedation and on the table, get sacked with a huge bill.
It is very important to talk to your doctor, the billing staff and your carrier to coordinate what will happen when you need a procedure of any kind. Somethings are not foreseeable, but some situations (like polyp removals during colonoscopys) are. Do not be afraid to ask your provider how much the procedure will cost and what are some typical situations that may affect those costs. If we all become better consumers of our health care, we can help drive down costs for everyone.
That's good information.
ReplyDeleteDid you see the study where dogs were used to detect colon and other cancers? They work for detecting drugs so why not? Of course this is still in the testing stages so for us older people heed the advice above.
http://phys.org/news/2011-01-bow-wow-dogs-bowel-cancer.html