Cost of stress test

jsterner

jsterner

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jsterner
After a 4 month wait the F.A.A. sent me a letter telling me I would have to have a stress test because I had a stent about 3 yrs ago. My Dr. probably doesn't have the original strips from my test 9 months ago so I will have to have a new stress test. My question for anyone who knows, how much does a stress test usually cost ? I will have to pay out of pocket as my insurance won't pay for it for the next 4 months.

Thanks

Jerry
 
I just had a stress echo done, and the bills came yesterday. I think the total between the hospital and the cardiologist was around $1500, maybe a little more. There was a bunch of other stuff on this set of bills, so some of it's hard to sort out.

Don't know if that helps you or not.
 
Thanks for the response Dale, I had a stress echo done in May I think all I need is the treadmill stress test. At least that is all they are asking for. I'm originally from Nebraska City, flew out of the old Grundman airport. GO BIG RED. :)


Jerry
 
jsterner said:
Thanks for the response Dale, I had a stress echo done in May I think all I need is the treadmill stress test. At least that is all they are asking for. I'm originally from Nebraska City, flew out of the old Grundman airport. GO BIG RED. :)


Jerry
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The plain (non-imaging) treadmill stress test is very useful and under used. I don't know what anybody charges but I would (wild) guess $300 to $500 including the fee for the cardiologist interpretation.
 
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The last Bruce protocol stress I took a couple years ago set me back $250. The most difficult aspect was calling providers and requesting a quote. Of the 5 called, only one could give me a price on the spot.
 
pilot_dude said:
The last Bruce protocol stress I took a couple years ago set me back $250. The most difficult aspect was calling providers and requesting a quote. Of the 5 called, only one could give me a price on the spot.
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And that is wrong. Providers should be required to publish prices for basic tests and procedures.
 
pilot_dude said:
The last Bruce protocol stress I took a couple years ago set me back $250. The most difficult aspect was calling providers and requesting a quote. Of the 5 called, only one could give me a price on the spot.
Click to expand...

Thats because they want to figure out how much they think they can get away with charging you… What they bill you versus what they negotiate with an insurer versus what they might get from medicare are all different, even though the test is the same.

Kind of like the airline model for pricing seat tickets…
 
Which is a major reason healthcare in the US is hosed. Saw something the other day that said having a baby at a hospital (no complications) costs anywhere from $3000 to $70000.
 
Gary F said:
And that is wrong. Providers should be required to publish prices for basic tests and procedures.
Click to expand...


This is a huge issue for those of us on high deductible plans. I had to put on my angry voice to find out what something cost a while back ago. The insurance company said the provider could tell me and the provider said the insurance company had that info. I told the lady at the insurance company I was staying on the line until we resolved this and to conference in the provider and I would stay on the line well she put me on hold but apparently the two of them were able to work it out and give me a dollar figure.

The more and more people who are on high deductible plans are going to need this information to make informed decisions.
 
Just my opinion, but I think the days of faithfully going to wherever your family doctor sends you next are long gone. I've learned the hard way. The costs for a given medication or medical procedure in my town can vary by so much, it's hard to believe. For most of my life, I've faithfully followed whatever instruction my doctor has given me, with the belief that he or she always had my best interests in mind. But in my experience, that's not always the case. I think most doctors mean well, but just don't have the time to consider costs etc. That's up to you.

Check the following website out to get an idea of how much the cost of common medical procedures can vary in a specific area. It's free. This particular company is just one of several that are attempting to provide a method for people to shop and compare costs on medical procedures. Also you might take a look at the 2009 CNN article on the subject.

http://www.newchoicehealth.com/

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/10/health.care.price.comparison/index.html

My doctor summed it up pretty good on my last visit:

"As good as it has been, the healthcare system in this country is well on its way to becoming an abomination."
 
It isn't just MDs, I just had a routine dental exam and cleaning. The hygenist pulled off a cap on one tooth and they wanted $87 to glue it back on after THEY did the damage !
 
I had to do the echo, treadmill, and 24 hr Holter recently in support of a medical (hint: if you're a pilot, be smart and do not pass out ever for any reason!). Being in a somewhat isolated area, I did not have many options to get it done. I could not get a price quote. Had to go in blind and it ended up being around $2000-$3000 for everything, don't recall exactly right now.

I'm a young guy, things looked great, and the cardiologist was shaking his head the whole time about the "FAA Nazis."
 
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