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Despite being on Medicare, I try to get as much done (medical and dental) outside the US as possible.  Yesterday I received two cortisone injections in my shoulder for inflammation caused by a bone spur at Chiang Mai Ram Hospital (reputed to be the most expensive here in Chiang Mai, Thailand).   On my first visit I had an inital consultation with an orthopedic surgeon followed by three digital xrays and a followup consultation.  I was interested in acupuncture as an alternative treatment to cortisone so yesterday had a consultation with another Chiang Mai Ram orthopedic surgeon also qualified in acupuncture.  He suggested cortisone as the better course and administered the shots.  Total cost for all visits and treatments (including digital x-rays) was $125US.

Anecdote regarding health care costs in the US:  A friend's daughter recently finished her residency in Otolarengology.  He was bemoaning her $150,000 student loan debt.  I stopped feeling sorry for her when he told me she had received offers between $250,000 and $650,000 per year (including perks such as prepaid malpractice insurance).
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The injection cost me nothing.  I live in CANADA and our health insurance is great!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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In Palm Srings under a surgucial team of three the doctor the radiolosgist and the anesthesiologist it cost the iusurance nearly $4500 and you pay your part whtever your part is 10%, 20%, 30% and so on of the $4500.

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Hi, I know that this is an older post, but I am in your same position and am hoping you can help me. How did you go about getting your co-pays written off? I have a bill for $1200 for 3 cortisone neck injections and I am a stay-at-home-mom. I feel blind-sided and am at a loss for what to do to get the bill reduced or written off. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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I am lucky because I moved to Canada, where we have universal healthcare. My cortisone injection into my lower spine cost me only $60 dollars and the cortisone covered by the Ontario Health Insurance, because I am low income senior. When I lived in the States, I was younger and had no medical problem, but we paid less for insurance and they give better coverage. I do not know what is happening there? They have to fix that system because prices are outrages. I also lived in Switzerland, were they have even better system than in Canada. How the Western European countries can make better healthcare? OK, they pay higher taxes, but they make much more money as we are.

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I had one in the neck at the hospital's Pain Management Department. It was a big production. Got a cap & gown. Was walked into an operating room with 2 nurses. Doctor came in & did the shot. It did not hurt. The numbing solution stung for a second. The cost of the shot $3100. ABSURD!!!!! The shot only helped a little with my ailments. My insurance covered $43 & the rest went to my deductible. My suggestion. GO TO A DOCTOR'S OFFICE & have it done. Much cheaper I found out later. Of course.........

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Depends on your insurance - for example, an elbow injection is 190.00 but UHC for example reduces it by 90.00 so roughly 100.00 will take your pain away :) for several months.
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Sad thing is my Dr itemized the bill. $6.80 for the medicine injected into my elbow. $110 for the office visit and another $135 in inject the $6.80 worth of medicine. To add insult to injury, the dr "gave" me an elbow wrap even though I told them I didn't need it because I had some at home. I am sure that they were thinking insurance would pay, but I have a high deductible plan and the bill comes to me for the first $2600 out of pocket. The wrap they gave me only cost $20.....and I could have picked up a new one in the pharmacy for $4. Drs really need to stop ripping off the insurance companies. All told, I paid $216 (after insurance adjustments for allowable charges) for $6.80 worth of medicine and a wrap I did not really need. Fifteen minutes work for a nurse practitioner, and I never even saw the Dr. for $216. 

 

We don't need Obamacare, we need honest Drs that charge a reasonable rate. Wish I had a job where I could charge people almost $800 per hour for my services. 

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I am supposed to get a shot in my neck.  The shot cost is 1100.  Because my insurance doesn't cover these, I have to self pay, so if I pay for it up front, it is 768.60.  Then there are not guarantees how long it will help.  What to do?

 

 

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I was just told it would cost $455 for a hip fluoroscopy injection of cortisone and an anesthetic agent from Group Health in Seattle.

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Where did you get information about the cost per mg of cortisone? My doctor's office charged me $135 for the shot in my shoulder and $150 for the office visit of under 8 minutes. I paid cash out of pocket as I have no insurance.

I understand there being a bit of a mark up. The doctor does have overhead and staff to pay. But I timed my visit with the doctor -- Under 8 minutes including the time to inject me. If the cortisone itself only costs them about $6. I think the pricing is extremely unfair.
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I understand the overhead costs. But what's the actual cost of the cortisone used? About $5? My doctor charged me $135 for the shot alone. The office visit of less than 8 minutes cost $150.

I paid out of pocket, so maybe I paid less than the doctor would have gotten from insurance. But then I didn't require any paperwork.
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Did you mean to say "you're" an "id**t" ... why don't you learn to spell?
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Really? You don't pay taxes?

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Really?? Somehow, in only six words, you managed to incorrectly use "you're," misspelled "id**t," and failed to use any appropriate and necessary punctuation (a period or semicolon after "idoit" would've sufficed).

Maybe you should learn to spell, to use grammar, and the correct usage of "your and you're." Or maybe you should stop trolling, get a life, and spend more time doing something you don't suck at.
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