Re: How MUCH does this cost?

[Guest guest]

I'm sorry to hear that about Dr. Riley, because so many people have

had good things to say about him.

Some docs do like to distance themselves from all money matters --

but I think increasingly that's a trend from the past. Newer ones,

hereabouts, anyhow, are realistic about their patients' pocketbooks

and knowledgeable about how to get the best coverage. (My own doc --

not my os -- thinks it outrageous that a treatment many of his

patients need could be administered in the office, much more easily

and inexpensively, but the insurance companies refuse to cover it

unless it's done in the hospital. And that's how all of us wind up

with higher insurance payments and more expensive medical care.)

But someone in that office should be able to give you some idea of

the price. Similarly, at the hospital. It's not as if any of these

people haven't done these procedures before! I can understand their

saying " This is a ballpark figure. The final totals will depend on

what happens in the operating room and on your recovery. " But they

should be able to drop a number that's somewhere in the vicinity, I'd

think.

I had upper only, was in the hospital for only one day -- but part of

that in a special care unit. Best I remember, my surgeon cost

somewhere in the neighborhood of $5,500; his partner who assisted,

about $550; the hospital bill was about $10,000, and I don't think

the anesthesiologist's fee was separated out for me. If it was, I

never figured out where it was. It may have been in that $10,000.

I have heard of fees approaching $50,000 for some of the all-star,

big league surgeons, though. I'd put my guy up against any of them,

in a second!

Cammie

-- In orthognathicsurgerysupport , " sfpdiaspora "

<sfpdiaspora@y...> wrote:

>

> I recently saw an oral surgeon, Dr. Riley (in Palo Alto),

and am considering having

> upper jaw surgery to correct my openbite/crossbite/class III.

>

> I finally decided to go ahead with orthodontics, but I have to say,

Dr. Riley's office has not

> been terribly helpful here. I called them and they wouldn't really

give me any information

> and told me to call my insurance company; they are not in any

insurance network.

>

> I have coverage through a large company with BlueCross (in their

PPO plan). I asked Dr.

> Riley's office if they could give me an estimate but they said they

don't deal with insurance

> companies, plans, etc...although I'm SURE they must have had

another patient who had

> BlueCross PPO.

>

> All I want to know is what I will be required to pay, out of

pocket, for this surgery. I have

> called BlueCross and they are almost entirely clueless---plus all I

can tell them is that I

> would be having orthognathic surgery of my upper jaw. They told me

to call the doctor,

> but the doctor tells me to call the insurance company. When I

asked about the hospital

> fee, the person I spoke with at Dr. Riley's office told me to call

the hospital. I mean this is

> really ridiculous that there is apparently 0 coordination here.

>

> Dr. Riley (when I met with him) indicated that the gross fees for

this surgery, including his

> fee + hospital fee, would most likely be upwards of $50,000 as the

hospital fee is $30,000

> per day. (ridiculous, in my opinion). If I have this surgery and

am stuck with a $50,000

> bill, I will not be thrilled nor financially capable of paying it.

>

> Is there some way to streamline this process to find out (a) if the

insurance company will

> cover anything, ( what they will cover, © what an approximate

out of pocket cost is?

>

> It would be really helpful if anyone from this area (Bay Area,

California) has gone through

> this with BlueCross PPO.

>

> Thanks so much,

>

>