Price of a dialysis session in the US
in [Kidney Failure]
|
From: Tom Grosman on 1 Mar 2008 16:14 Hello, I live in France and have recently started back on dialysis (after a transplant of 17 years). I tend to spend a lot of time in the US. The French health system will reimbourse me for any dialysis abroad, up to the standard cost here in France. Can someone please tell me what a dialysis session costs these days in the US? BTW, I pay practically nothing here in France for my health care (sure it's paid in taxes, but since the per person cost of healthcare in the US is almost twice that in France, it still works out to be cheaper for everyone, certainly for me since in the US I would have premiums, copays, deductibles, non-covered items, out of network expenses, plus insurance people whose job it is to try to deny paying my bills (plus taxes anyway for pgms like Medicare, SCHIP ). It is such a relief to not have to worry about going bankrupt, losing my life savings, my house, not being able to switch (or quit) jobs... Single payer healthcare can and does work. If France can do it (number one rated healthcare system by WHO), certainly the US can too, and most probably even better. The only thing lacking is the (political) will. ***end rant*** Thanks, Tom
From: "Paul Bartram" p.bartram AT OR NEAR on 1 Mar 2008 23:46 "Tom Grosman" <grosman(a)aonix.fr> wrote > Single payer healthcare can and does work. If France can do it (number one > rated healthcare system by WHO), certainly the US can too, and most > probably > even better. The only thing lacking is the (political) will. ***end > rant*** My dialysis and associated care is completely free here in Australia, funded by Medicare. The only thing I pay is $5 per prescription under the Pharmacutical Benefits Scheme. As for your question, I found this at http://www.farces.com/index.php/section/ESRD/ "DaVita says the company's cost per treatment averages $266, and a dialysis patient gets 156 treatments a year. But 87 percent of dialysis patients use Medicare, which pays only about $240 per treatment. To make up the difference, the providers charge insurance companies for the other 13 percent of patients much higher rates." DaVita is one of the US's largest providers of dialysis services. Private dialysis clinics here charge up to $AU500 a go... Paul
From: Dave on 2 Mar 2008 01:13 "Paul Bartram" <p.bartram AT OR NEAR mysoul.com.au> wrote in news:47ca313a$0$3158$c30e37c6(a)pit-reader.telstra.net: > > "Tom Grosman" <grosman(a)aonix.fr> wrote > >> Single payer healthcare can and does work. If France can do it >> (number one rated healthcare system by WHO), certainly the US can >> too, and most probably >> even better. The only thing lacking is the (political) will. ***end >> rant*** > > My dialysis and associated care is completely free here in Australia, > funded by Medicare. The only thing I pay is $5 per prescription under > the Pharmacutical Benefits Scheme. > > As for your question, I found this at > http://www.farces.com/index.php/section/ESRD/ > > "DaVita says the company's cost per treatment averages $266, and a > dialysis patient gets 156 treatments a year. But 87 percent of > dialysis patients use Medicare, which pays only about $240 per > treatment. To make up the difference, the providers charge insurance > companies for the other 13 percent of patients much higher rates." > > DaVita is one of the US's largest providers of dialysis services. > > Private dialysis clinics here charge up to $AU500 a go... > > Paul > > > In the US, Medicare reimbursement varies by what part of the country you are in. My Medicare Explanation of Benefits Statements show an Average per treatment Payment of US$172.00. That is 80% of Medicare Approved amount. Insurance or Patient pays other 20%, which is approximately US $43.00. At one time, my Employer supplied insurance was primary, and the insurance company paid 80% of what the clinic charged, which turned out to be US$385.00 per session, with Medicare still only paying US $96,00. This had to do with the Medicare Coordination of benefits rules where employee supplied insurance is considered primary for patients who work for a company having more than 100 employees. For somebody coming to the US wihout any coverage, I don;t belive there as anything in any rules anywhere to stop them from charging any amount they like. Best to call the unit you will get treatments at to find out what the bill is going to be. Oh yeah, They are probably gonna want the cash up front as well. Dave
|
Pages: 1 Prev: Is Urea & Creatinine measurement done via blood or unine test ? Next: Don'ts With Bodybuilding |