Hysto cost in Alabama

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u/Lace000 13h ago

As a non-American I just gotta say what you guys pay for health care is insane. I'm sure you know that, but in case you don't...

I had an abdominal hysterectomy here in Australia a few years ago. I had the surgery, spent the usual 3 days in hospital, then had to return for another 3 days due to complications.

Entire cost to me? $7.70 for the prescription for painkillers when I left the hospital.

That's it.

No insurance necessary. Our taxes paid for it all.

To me, a non-American, you don't seem to have a health care system over there in the USA. It's a health scam system. You're getting ripped off.

11

u/Anabele71 11h ago

I can't believe the price they pay either. I'm in Ireland and went through the public system for my robotic laparoscopy hysterectomy and there was no charge. If I had gone private my insurance would have covered it. The most I had to pay was €400 for anti blood clotting injections but I actually only paid €80 as we have a drug payment scheme where all medicines are capped at €80.

9

u/auroicverso 8h ago

My fiance and I talk about this all the time. We need caps on things but "free market" 🫪

7

u/auroicverso 8h ago

Yep I agree. I paid maybe $20 for my medicine but $0 for the hysto. I have good health insurance. A job loss and you're fucked

4

u/ArtisticCustard7746 6h ago

That's the whole point. Can't have insurance without a job. So we're forced to build wealth for the ones lobbying to tie insurance to employment.

But then insurance takes these ridiculous premiums and then denies us our benefits. Because paying our benefits isn't actually in their business model. Because you guessed it, they've lobbied for this.

The average person wants universal health care in some form or another.

Our politicians? Well you can see voting history, who receives campaign donations, and what's in their stock portfolio. I wasn't at all surprised to see health insurance companies donating to my state senator's campaign or the fact they hold stock in that company. And given their history of voting against health care legislation that in any way benefits the average person, I am throughly not surprised.

This shit is all by design.

6

u/LuckyShenanigans 8h ago

Babe, we're so tired...

3

u/Feelsthelove 5h ago

I had my hysterectomy last year and they had me out the doors within 3 hours of leaving the operating room. My surgery was free only because I had met my deductible. Fuck health insurance

2

u/NocturnalSylph 6h ago

“Usual three days” is so funny. Mine was outpatient. In and out same day is their plan in the US. They did hold a bed for me for one night because of chronic illness but I was prepared to go home and honestly wanted to get into my own bed.

3

u/NikkiNot_TheOne 6h ago

I felt like I was thrown out!! I was so annoyed bc I was so out of it from the anesthesia! I hate not feeling in control of my body! Not to mention the burning on my urethra and vagina! Omg I was moaning. She slapped some lidocaine on me 😒.

I didn’t remember half of anything anyone told me. They don’t let anyone in the surgery recovery room with you after, you’re wheeled out to your ride. With all the government health insurance changes, it’s so much worst now. I wasn’t rushed like in March 2023. Everything is being dismantled. Oh I was sent home w paperwork w these drawn out explanations why insurance sees a hysterectomy as an outpatient procedure. Idk and how there’s only strict qualifications to stay over night. So ridiculous!!!

At least my OB is great and called me the next morning and the two days after checking on me. So ridiculous how we’re treated.

2

u/NikkiNot_TheOne 6h ago

Yup! This is the reason me and my bf of 26yrs won’t get married. I live in Massachusetts so we have very good state health insurance if you don’t make “too much” money. I have two part time jobs that don’t offer health insurance. I do that mainly though so I can be available for my school aged children.

Welp, I got 2 bonuses in a row in one of my pay checks so it looked like my regular pay. When I was renewing my health insurance in June, I was over the income cap bc of the bonuses. I did qualify bc there’s an addendum that qualifies a woman who needs any treatment for breast, ovarian, uterine and cervical cancer. So I guess “yay for precancerous cells!” 🙄

That’s how I could afford my hysterectomy I just had on 8/20. I still pay a monthly premium and I was before that anyway so no big deal. It’s just the point!!

It’s absolutely ridiculous!!! Even crazier to me that I went through that here but it’s so much worst in other states!

We definitely pay enough taxes, so our whole state at least should have free healthcare!! Like I said, our state compared to others has it a lot better when it comes to humanity programs, oh I am sorry “socialism”

12

u/Speacock567 16h ago

I'm in WA state. My surgery was 82k, after insurance I paid 4k.

6

u/InfiniteEstimate977 15h ago

Was it 82k or is that the price they tried to bill your insurance?

3

u/Speacock567 3h ago

82k was billed to my insurance. I paid 4k out of pocket.

2

u/InfiniteEstimate977 3h ago

They tried to bill my insurance 87k and my insurance rejected anything over the negotiated rate. This is what I was asking.

2

u/Discount_Mithral 4h ago

Also in WA, mine was $45K billed to insurance, I paid $2K out of pocket.

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u/My4dogs4evr 16h ago edited 16h ago

That’s truly crazy. I got the itemized billing statement for my hysterectomy( last December) just out of curiosity. It was pure insanity. It was over $40,000. We didn’t pay one dime it was covered 100% by TRICARE Select. That included everything preop surgery, postop pathology you name it. It was covered so grateful.
🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Mine was robotic laparoscopic everything out, but the cervix I kept. It was same-day surgery. I was there for a total of six hours. Crazy

9

u/WarriorRavenChic 16h ago

In GA mine was $96,500, just the cost of surgery.

A laparoscopic total hysterectomy with tube removal. Kept ovaries.

7 wpo.

8

u/TakitishHoser 6h ago

I live in Canada. I am likely going to be having a hysterectomy soon.

Our taxes pay for our health care but our health care system is also not for profit & single payer. The hospital doesn't mark up costs to bill our health care plan.

I will have to pay for a taxi home & any meds, but nothing else.

This cost is astounding. I am however glad you have coverage for the majority of your surgery.

3

u/sakuramab 11h ago

UK: non-NHS surgery (ie private) : £7,450 all inc the surgeon, anaesthetist, theatre team, pre op, blood work etc, three nights in hospital... Which feels really cheap for all those people. But what you're billed for before insurance etc is wild... $44k?!

5

u/RevolutionaryLaw8854 11h ago

Billed charges are a completely fictional number.

The allowable is the true cost and is the amount that gets collected.

2

u/Prize_Sorbet3366 5h ago

The estimate for mine was around $52k if I recall (oncological hysterectomy to remove everything plus a 7lb/12" ovarian tumor), and I paid a bit over $2000 for it because I still hadn't met my $3000 deductible for the year. It may have cost less or more - I never looked at the final tally - but the low end would have blown my annual deductible completely out of the water. lol

I'm not sure how 'good' my insurance is per se (BCBS) but it's a LOT better than a lot of'em because there's no pre-auth needed so I don't have to get permission from the insurance company to have this or that procedure, or fight a resulting denial of coverage. My network is also massive, and I haven't come across a situation yet where I couldn't find a doctor that was covered. There's an initial $500 deductible that's fully out of pocket, then there's the 80/20 coverage, but once I hit my annual deductible, everything's free for the rest of the year. And you can bet I've been taking advantage of that while I can because I doubt I'm ever going to be in this situation again without some kind of catastrophic health issue like my tumor.

Oh, and I have no idea if the cost of my surgery included the two additional days I spent in the hospital because it was an open abdominal surgery, vertical incision. They actually said I'd be there between 2-4 days, but I was recovering so well by Day 2 that they let me go home (I really wanted to!).

2

u/darkday15 3h ago

My hospital billed my insurance over $200k for just my hospital stay (of almost 2 weeks, not just hysterectomy related), not the doctors bills. I owe thousands of dollars and I've paid off a couple thousand already. It's...a lot. If I think about it a lot I get kind of overwhelmed.

2

u/SnailCaptain19 3h ago

In Colorado:

"Hi [name], you have a new cost estimate. Your estimated responsibility for your visit on [date] is now $6,164. Your prepay amount is $6,164."

This is the best insurance my job could offer me. I think the total would be more, but I'm reaching my OOP max with this surgery.

2

u/Maleficent-Clue-3364 2h ago

Cries in American 😭😭 at this rate idk if I’ll ever be able to get a hysterectomy but god I want one so fucking bad. A reduction would be awesome too

3

u/InfiniteEstimate977 16h ago

Mine was 16k in ks for an open abdominal. They tried to bill 88k.

5

u/My4dogs4evr 16h ago

I can’t believe what thieves the hospital billing department is!!
The worst part is I’m rn. I always work in the emergency room. You would not believe what the hospital pays for crappy supplies that we were stuck with using in the emergency room.

If they wouldn’t waste so much money on crappy supplies and constantly redecorating the hospital, they wouldn’t have to build so much for procedures 😂

2

u/InfiniteEstimate977 15h ago

Yeah it was crazy to me also. I don't get why they try to bill more when insurance already has a negotiated rate really.

1

u/My4dogs4evr 15h ago

It’s just the wonderful world of the insurance racket. 🙄

1

u/Rare-Attitude-3100 15h ago

Mine was over 100k but the doctor messed up and I spent five days in the hospital

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u/MamaMoosicorn 11h ago

That’s about what mine cost, including a surprise visit from the resident urologist because endo had pasted my ovary to my ureter

1

u/mallowme 9h ago

This makes me confirm my decision to do mine this year, plus be fairly happy with my insurance. My friend from the UK asked me about costs, and was shocked but I’m fairly happy.

We pay out of pocket at the start of the year. Once we hit $3000 we only pay 10%. Once we hit $6000 for the year (as a family) it’s free. Say what you will, but Anthem has treated us decent.

Minor surgery in January plus 2 scans (MRI and CT), 5 ER visits, multiple Neuro visits for migraines, and two sets of Botox injections and a hysterectomy+ all this year and we’re only out $6000 total. If the Botox works, we’ll probably repeat x infinity because those run about $1200 a pop every 12 weeks.

1

u/WakeyWakeeWakie 8h ago

Ha! Mine was $145,000! In only a moderate cost of living place and hospital. I only paid $1500. That included one night in the hospital.

1

u/Formal_Delivery_ 8h ago

That's it? Mine was $140k 🫠

1

u/space_coot 8h ago

Mine will be $7,500 out of pocket with insurance.

1

u/ArtisticCustard7746 7h ago

Yeah, my total cost was $36k.

Insurance only paid $9k of it...

1

u/HushedCamel 7h ago

What the fuck. These bills are WILD! I get that each country has different levels of insurance and things but how can costs vary by THIS MUCH!?

In Australia my total came to $7800 covered by private health, +$500 out of pocket anaesthetist fees. How can comparable countries be charging over $80kAUD!?

1

u/ExcellentSign3567 7h ago

Mine was 67k. Insurance paid all but 7k. Now I have to pay that 7k within 12 months 😭

Worth it, but it's rough.

1

u/jodireneeg 6h ago

I got my statement (“estimate” as my surgery is on 9/22)
Total cost for robot assisted laparoscopic hysterectomy: $77,789

My out of pocket $130
(Southern California, HMO insurance)

1

u/taquito_de_guisad0 6m ago

That’s absolutely insane. I’m from Mexico and including labwork, MRI, doctors visits and the hysterectomy + Endo excision I paid around $3k in total.

0

u/Medicalhuman 15h ago

My insurance was billed 86k for Robot assisted, second surgery for internal lacerations and bleeding. And meds and pacu

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