The $8000 Prostate biopsy evaluation.

Mouse writes:

I believe that the hospital I work for (as an employee)charges over $300 for both the technical and the pro fee that they bill on my behalf. We do not get many prostate biopsies. When I do get them in a set of 12...um...that's over $8000. Just for the H and E (I have not needed special stains). I really doubt any insurance is paying this but it makes me sick to know that some guy without insurance would get a bill for such an amount. Have you ever heard of such huge fees? What can I do to make it right?

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Well, unless the patient does not have any insurance, he will not be paying the full $8000. If he has no insurance, and even if he does, then he can negotiate with the lab to pay less. He can advise his urologist to ask the lab about the excessive fees (My lab would charge a non-insured patient about $360 for this service). This might prevent other patients from being similarly ripped-off in the future. But the real question is this: What party do you want to "make it right" for ? Please clarify what type of insurance, if any, this patient has.

Have I heard of such huge fees? Unfortunately, yes.

J. Oppenheimer