Do you know the price of Colonoscopy? Please Shop around to save a lot

A patient had his colonoscopy in Geneva,Il.He was shocked to receive 2750$ from the facility in addition to 500$ for Gastroenterologist fees. He tried to talk to the facility billing staff and was threatened with lawsuit.

So how does a patient shop around?

Go to internet-like they do for buying a car or refrigerator or look up ads on TV. Well for Healthcare,cost information is kept a top secret between providers and insurance companies.Insurance companies are forbidden to provide prices by providers to Shopping Patients. Isn't that ridiculous? Well 50 states initiated a project 3 years ago to get Price Transparency in Healthcare . Only 7 states have gotten passing grades for providing this information to Patients living in their states. 43 states have F-grade. ILLINOIS got F-grade.Well our politicians are not helping patients know the prices--thus forcing them to pay higher prices .Monopolies in hospitals consolidations and their buying up independent doctors is helping drive prices up. Even remaining independent specialists are bullying others in leaving this area or joining them or raising prices for colonoscopy in Geneva,St.Charles,Batavia,Elgin,Sycamore ,Wheaton areas. So patients are going to pay more--when competition decreases.Imagine only one car dealer in Illinois--Prices will go up.

What about Internet?

There are 3 websites who claim to provide the cost/price information.

Healthcarebluebook sounds like bluebook for cars. Well they got hold of old data -2011 -from some insurers.They massaged it and then got hold of couple of providers in Chicago,Il. and are charging them for highlighting their names,their prices and calling it VALUE PRICES..They add a few very high cost providers to their chart and make you believe that your are getting reliable information.They say-search by ZIP Code.Well these favorite names remain same whether you click for Geneva or Elgin or Aurora Zip code.These favorites are located 37 miles or 31 miles away.What about the better providers in Geneva,Il? Their VP told me that their CEO would give me a call and convince me of the benefits.

Guroo.com is a creation of HealthcareInstitute--by 4 insurers- United Health care, Aetna, Humana, Kaiser Permanente. Their information is very accurate,but they only provide RANGES--and no names of providers is given. Their reasoning: We have legal CONTRACTS with providers-that forbid us from disclosing names of providers. www.guroo.com

The 3rd website: www.clearhealthcosts.com was started by a New Times reporter 5 years ago.She knew the problems-hurdles.So she developed a different approach: ASK PATIENTS to submit their bills,providers names ,procedure performed. She got funding from donors,radio stations etc.But in last 5 years,she has gathered information of California,Texas,Florida,New York city,Philadelphia--only a few major cities. Illinois or Chicago or Geneva or St.Charles or Wheaton cities data is not available.

We have decided to help the patients--so you can call us at 630 232 2025 for lowest prices in your cities.

Our gastroenterologist qualifications:

MD from Johns Hopkins Univ.Medical School was rated #1 in 1996

Gastroenterology Fellowship--1999-2002--rated #2 in America hospital-The Cleveland Clinic.

By the way-Dr.Tarun Mullick was accepted for fellowship at Mayo Clinic also.

Dr.Mullick received Governor's award from Amer.College of Gastroenterology in 2002.

He is an editor of Gastroenterology Endoscopy News.