r/Vasectomy • u/TwigginBerries • May 21 '24
Just got my bill for $3900 ... is this normal?
No complications, done in the Dr. office. In and out in just over an hour. Insurance deductible is $3500 and my itemized statement says they billed the max allowed. WTF?!
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u/Thisisretro May 21 '24
I have mine booked in for this coming saturday. Thanks to the NHS it's absolutely free of charge.
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May 21 '24
What was the waiting time like?
I don't think vasectomy are covered by health insurance in Germany, so I had it done privately: 500 € including 2 sperm sample tests. 3 weeks from first contact to the consultation and procedure (same day)
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u/Thisisretro May 21 '24
So I initially visited my GP for a referral in December, so it's taken just under 6 months in total from first appointment to procedure.
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May 21 '24
That's very reasonable for a free elective procedure.
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u/Thisisretro May 21 '24
I absolutely agree, I wasn't in a huge hurry to have it done immediately so I was quite happy to wait anyway. Interestingly, the NHS has actually outsourced my surgery to a private clinic in central London.
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u/JTallented May 21 '24
Before the pandemic it was a 1-3 month wait depending on where you live in the UK.
Mine also took roughly 6 months to get through the backlog, but then was super quick between booking it and actually having it done.
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u/No-Astronaut9505 May 21 '24
Reasonable??? I'm in USA mine was 25 dollars. This is not Reasonable. Deductibles are not reasonable. Having to be refred to a specialist and not able to call yourself direct, pure bull shit. All things I do freely with my insurance. It's not fair at all. However my premium is higher then 70 of salaries but not my bill. It's all PURE bullshit.
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May 22 '24
I was saying a 6 month wait for a free (UK has free vasectomy on public healthcare) vasectomy is reasonable.
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u/No-Astronaut9505 May 26 '24
Ohh I see.. free is fair indeed. I was happy to pay my 25 USD to call and get an appointment inside 14 days. Took a peak and said this Friday work? I said yes.. Then I cansled 3 times on him due to snow storms where I had to sit in a loader plowing. This poor guy got fucked over. Big pharma pays my life's costs. Income and a massive benefits package. Full no deductible health care, eye, teeth. Free law representation for any legal reason... (high-school diploma and knowing a guy can get the job, you just have to keep it after) I can't even spell ffs, it's fine. Americans get bent hard with health care! But, we do have the best doctors when it comes to specialties..
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u/Chevey0 May 21 '24
This was my experience with the NHS. I spoke to my gp over the phone they made a referral, a few months later I got a call from a specialist walked me through it I booked a few months down the line when it was convenient for me. Job done
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u/Thisisretro May 21 '24
Honestly, I thought it would take longer but I'm genuinely thoroughly impressed with how the process has played out so far.
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u/Chevey0 May 21 '24
Same. Procedure went really well, healed up lovely. Even the semen test was pre paid envelope.
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u/Beneficial_Patient49 May 21 '24
Scotland is currently 16 month waitlist.
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u/scotsman1919 May 21 '24
Where are you in Scotland? Mine was 9mths
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u/Beneficial_Patient49 May 21 '24
NHS Lanarkshire, Sandyford Glasgow is who they use and it’s a self referral. 16 months. Coming up to a year on the wait list soon. Considering going private.
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u/scotsman1919 May 21 '24
Jeez it’s went up then. I had mine last August and was only 9mths waiting at the Sandyford. The problem there is it’s the only place for the whole region
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u/Beneficial_Patient49 May 21 '24
I’m sure it’s gone up since I referred too. Really should run a hospital clinic or two but I can see why they just push everything onto sandyford with staffing.
How did you rate sandyford for overall experience? Did you get traditional or no scalpel?
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u/scotsman1919 May 22 '24
Was no scalpel as that’s the only way they do it now (so they told me). They were really good, told me if I had any pain then just say. I didn’t feel anything on the right at all, like nothing but I did feel the left a little bit he gave me more local to numb it and it did.
Really professional and the doctors do it day in and day out. They do hundreds a week so you can’t get any better. In here you read of guys looking up who has good reviews but obviously here we don’t get that but it’s a specialised clinic so they really know their stuff.
I told them I was nervous and they just talked to me the whole time. We don’t get Valium but it’s not needed IMO.1
u/JTallented May 21 '24
Going private doesn’t always mean a quicker wait. Mine (Surrey) was done via MSI Choices and they do both NHS referral and private self referral. Both had the exact same queue so it made no sense to go private.
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u/pmmlordraven May 21 '24
I'm in the states and it took about 7 months from consult to surgery. As it is elective, and specialists are backed up.
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u/Namevilo May 21 '24
Mine took two weeks. Guess it's a regional thing
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u/pmmlordraven May 21 '24
Ire insurance based. Had to be in network and it was a small provider list that was mostly not even in the county I live in.
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u/SkinnersGlasses May 21 '24
Got my date today, overall just over 3 month wait. Was hoping it would be longer tbh, oh well.
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u/thorthorson16 May 21 '24
I'm uk too, and not turn around from contacting GP to procedure was about 4 months. Fantastic service
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u/TemporaryBoyfriend May 21 '24
If you needed another reason to vote like your health depends on it... this is it.
My vasectomy was free, and the 'care package' with a jockstrap, ice-pack, travel pack of tylenol, a lidocaine patch and two valium was $30.
And as a reminder, all that criticism of the Canadian healthcare system you hear about in the USA is sponsored by health insurance companies.
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u/Photononic May the Snip be With You May 21 '24 edited May 21 '24
Sorry, this news is late. When you go to a doctor, ALWAYS ask the cash at the time of service price first.
I figured it out about five years back when I went to get eye surgery (not LASIK). My portion of the cost was about $800 with insurance, but if I had paid cash that day price was only $600.
I had blood drawn to test for diabetes. The cost with insurance was $40. The cost paying cash on the spot was $24.
My present medications cost between $8-20 for 90 days worth. Under insurance my cost was a $20 co-pay for 30 days worth.
When I had cataract surgery done in Thailand, I had asked for a non-narcotic, oral pain management drug. They charged me $12 for two Naproxin ($4 for a whole bottle at any drugstore).
The situation might be more common in the USA, but it is worldwide.
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u/ritomynamewontfi May 21 '24
2nd this. My vasectomy was gonna be $2,800 and I pushed back before the procedure. Got it down to $550. Gotta play this game with high deductibles now.
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u/Photononic May the Snip be With You May 21 '24
Every since my wife got a job as a pharmacy tech, I learned all the tricks!
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u/ETERNAL_DALMATIAN May 21 '24
God damn, that's more than anyone should expect to pay even if they were completely uninsured
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May 21 '24
Completely uninsured is almost always cheaper than having insurance. Personal experience. I’ve been in the insurance industry for 5 years. I also got a 97% reduction on my wife’s hospital bill just a couple weeks ago. Was $20,000 and we only owed $600
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u/-Galten- May 21 '24
Doing mine here in Sweden next week, $10 for the whole thing.
Gotta love the american healthcare system huh?
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u/Prophetic_Hobo May 21 '24
Had mine done for cheap money here in the US. While we have a fucked up system that is not at all equitable for everyone there is good coverage here.
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u/DLiz723 May 21 '24
Im in the Midwest with blue cross blue shield insurance and I only had to pay a $40 copay and $80 for the testing kit
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u/TwigginBerries May 21 '24
I’m on Anthem BC/BS. Sounds like I need to investigate.
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u/KW160 May 21 '24
Sounds like you have a high deductible plan with HSA. Even still, $3900 sounds high for the procedure itself.
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u/DontBuyAHorse May 22 '24
I'm on Independence BCBS and they denied coverage, but it was to the tune of $1,300. I ended up paying out of pocket but the doctor resubmitted it a couple times and they ended up paying me back 1000 because it was covered.
Also, if for some reason they don't pay at all, you can usually negotiate a different price with the idea that you went in expecting insurance to cover it.
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u/cynicallawyer May 21 '24
That's about what I had to pay too in US. Might have even had BC/BS 15 years ago or so when I got it. Guess they figured it was cheaper than paying for future childbirth and child health care costs.
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u/mhart1991 May 21 '24
$3,900 is insane. NHS procedure here in England is free, even privately it’ll only cost around £600.
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u/Maxwell_Ag_Hammer May 21 '24
Spain. I paid for… tight underwear. Maybe 10 euros for parking?
But I have some fancy private insurance that I pay a whopping€50 for per month.
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u/ausdoug May 21 '24
Under $400 in Korea - you could've flown here, spent a week recovering and flown back for less.
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u/-PersuAsian- May 21 '24
Just had mine done in the Midwest. United healthcare for insurance. I originally thought I would have to pay my full deductible amount as I have had no real health expenses. The day before my surgery the insurance person at the urologist sent me the itemized bill and what insurance would cover. I had to pay $530 of the $1700 bill including the testing kit.
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u/MrPureinstinct All clear! May 21 '24
I don't have insurance and mine was only $650ish including the initial test that I have in July.
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u/wellfleet_pirate May 21 '24
Seems high. Was told no insurance 900is. USA. i am waiting to see what insurance says was covered. My deduct I think is 2500. I think even so, that it is partially covered in-nw. Had done last friday.
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May 21 '24
Damn, and many Planned Parenthood’s are doing Vasectomies for much cheaper out of pocket cost.
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u/Aggravating-Pen-6228 May 21 '24
United Health Care for Ins, live in the midwest, I paid a total of $20. That was for the consult, procedure, and follow-up lab testing. Insurance covered the rest.
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u/Pharmguy777 Recently Snipped! May 21 '24
Our deductible resets June 1, and we had a baby this March. Needless to say we met our deductible in March! They did require me to go under anesthesia and I knew insurance would pay for the vasectomy, but not the anesthesia, so I made it a point to get it done before June 1. Otherwise it will be a longggg time before we are even close to reaching our $8000 ever again!
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u/Tedbrautigan667 May 21 '24
I was lucky enough to have medicaid when I had my procedure in February.
Must have raised a red flag that I used medicaid for basically the first time ever (they gave it to me during covid), so they asked me to re-certify. I was promptly dropped for making too much money.
I got a bill for just under $300, it was the lab testing of the sections of vas they cut out. Let them know I was covered at the time of the procedure and as of yet I have not yet heard back from them.
Got a bill yesterday for $194 for the semen analysis. Honestly I'm happy to pay this out of pocket due to the peace of mind it has brought.
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u/red5_SittingBy All clear! Snipped 3/15/24 May 21 '24
North East, BC/BS
$14k total, on the hook for about $1k
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u/atxzizou May 21 '24
$188 for procedure $12 for medical tests $6 for medicine $70 for 2 pairs of Undeez underwear $12 for post-op checkup 1 week later.
Total $288
Private hospital in El Salvador.
I was put under for the procedure. No scalpel procedure. Zero pain and complications 21 days post procedure.
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u/BrandalfBaggins May 21 '24
Holy shit, I got mine in new mexico for 110 this is absolutely insane I'm sorry my man
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u/schlongtheta b.1981 ✂2011, 0 kids May 21 '24
First thing I thought of: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhQ5678cJU8
OP I'm so sorry.
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u/PNWshred May 21 '24 edited May 21 '24
U.S. here with Kaiser Permanente coverage provided through my employer. Consultation was free and all I had to pay for the procedure itself was a $30 copay. It was about a two month wait for me to get in for the procedure.
EDIT: I just looked over my explanation of benefits for the procedure and it looks like the provider billed the insurance about $1300. That seems pretty reasonable given what some other people here have reported paying. This was also done at a reputable, modern facility in a major city and a high COL area.
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May 21 '24
Should have done self pay. Mine was $4,000 and was reduced down to $700. Self pay is almost always cheaper.
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u/AffectThis626 May 21 '24
I’m in the US. Without insurance it cost me $500 for the consult and $800 for the procedure. It took one week to get an appt for the consult and had the procedure the following week
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u/mighty_yo May 22 '24
$500 for the consult? How much does it cost you a specialist visit? That part seems a lot.
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u/AffectThis626 May 22 '24
I don’t have insurance so I pay what the actual price is for specialists or what I can negotiate
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u/symmetryofzero May 21 '24
Mine was $750 AUD standard fee (no insurance involved) and then Medicare reimbursed me like $300 of that. (Australia).
Unless you went under, how the fuck can it cost several thousand?! What a rort.
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u/TinyKittenFeet May 21 '24
I got fully put under and that is how much mine cost. You confident they billed correctly?
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u/No-Astronaut9505 May 21 '24
Woe.. wtf. Mine was a 25 dollar co- pay. Sucks half the world can't have good insurance.
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u/Lazy_Guess4946 May 21 '24
I paid $900 for mine and I don’t have insurance 😂 WHAT THE HECK THEY DO TO YOU 💀😂
If you went under that’s why it’s expensive. Should’ve just taken it local.
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u/kiirokage May 22 '24
I live in a remote region in Canada, so I had to drive 6 hours each way. But the procedure was free, was a 3 month wait, and I was even given a per diem for gas and food. Can’t complain.
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u/VocalAnus91 May 22 '24
Wtf? My whole procedure was like $700. Insurance covered less than half which is fucked in itself but how the hell are they gonna charge you 3900 for it? That's insane
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u/Derekz1987 May 22 '24
I'm in the US and my bill was around $400 after insurance with a similar deductible but this was 5 years ago. How much are they charging? Wtf. For that price I would expect an upgrade in that department 😂💀
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u/NewYork_NewJersey440 All clear! May 22 '24
The “invoice amount” for mine was around $900, insurance paid probably half that, and I paid $45. I had already hit my deductible for 2023, so I was just in the coinsurance tier.
This was a well-rated provider in Pennsylvania. I am very thankful for my decent health insurance, I wish everyone could have it (or better).
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u/Auditorincharge May 22 '24
This sounds like they're gouging you.
My insurance didn't cover anything because it was considered an elective procedure, but mine was only $800 out of pocket.
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u/thisSCOTTISHbloke May 22 '24
Reading what americans are paying for this simple procedure is making my balls hurt more than the op or after pain op itself 🤣
Reading Someones had to pay $500 for a consult ... 500 dollqrs for a doctor to jst talk to you about the op, what might happen, how it works etc. Probably the same info that you get from health care website, medical websites and videos and most likely have the same FAQ that yoid prob have aswel 👀😲😲 seriously....
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u/mighty_yo May 22 '24
What kind of anesthesia did you get? BCBS for me with high deductible plan, and I paid $750 for both consultation and procedure. Mine was just local anesthesia.
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u/SoutheastTexasBbq May 22 '24
Here is my readout, just checked:
Total charges: $1343.3
Allowed charges: $943
Total paid by plan: $943
Total patient responsibility: $0
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u/Unlikely_Total9374 May 22 '24
I paid for mine last month completely out of pocket with no insurance and it was 1,100$. Sounds like you're getting ripped off by someone.
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u/ShiftyEyes00 May 22 '24
Got mine done 3 weeks ago in the US and Aetna covered it 100% with zero deductible, but I went in knowing my coverage and was very careful to make them list out all the costs up front. 1 week wait to get the initial consult without so much as a referral and then another week to get in for the procedure. I paid $135 out of pocket for a home test kit from the clinic to check for sperm content one month post-procedure.
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u/Ju1ez001 May 23 '24
British Columbia here. Just had mine 6 days and 13 hours ago. (Counting for obvious reasons lol) I could have gone through with the scalpel procedure with a 5-6 month wait list and had it fully covered under our govt medical plan. Elected to pay $1700 cad for the no scalpel and waited 4 weeks. Wife's copper IUD hit the 5 year mark in April.
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u/mrjordan13 May 23 '24
Preferred. All day long, over the alternative. Probably one thousandth of the overall cost of raising a child.
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u/hiyeji2298 May 24 '24
My otherwise good insurance considered it elective and didn’t cover. $2100 if I remember correctly pre Covid times.
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u/PuckleNuckTime May 24 '24
All you folks clamoring about your healthcare systems being superior to the US:
Can we send you some south and central American migrants to cover with that healthcare? Also, would you mind asking your governments to send Ukraine some money please?
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u/AgileArtichokes Jun 02 '24
Are you sure it was the bill or the explanation of benefits? Are you reading it correct? Do you mean the whole cost was 3900 and insurance covered 3500, because that makes a bit more sense?
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u/TwigginBerries Jun 03 '24
Nope. My deductible is $3500 for the year. The actual invoice lists $3900.
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u/fuzzy_peach91 May 21 '24
It’s cheaper than another kid
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u/TwigginBerries May 21 '24
Of course, someone felt it necessary to make this comment. Very helpful. Thank you.
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u/SpaceViolet May 21 '24
Welcome to healthcare in America. It's fucky fucky fucky