Transparency in Pricing in Healthcare .Actual prices vary from 100-300%

If you buy a car or refrigerator,you can easily get a quote.

How about in medical care?

All think-well everyone charges the same or my insurance co. will negotiate on my behalf.

The answer is: everyone does NOT charge the same.

The insurance co.are letting you choose anyone because of the legal reasons, but they will raise your premiums if you get Colonoscopy for 2500-5000$ for facility fee when you could have gotten it for 750$ for facility fee nearby.

The reviewer had high deductible policy--so he was stuck with 2500$ facility fee even after negotiation.

So BEST SUGGESTION:

1) Get written quotes from different facilities before you get a test or procedure.

2) Shop around

3) If you need help,call 630 232 2025 or call your insurance co. for help. Insurance co.have the data on prices charged by different providers in your area. They know the quality of each provider also. Actually insurance people -executives get their procedures done at the best prices available in an area .

4) Inform others of price differences . This could be helpful to people who want colonoscopy before 50 yr.age. They could save 5000$ minus 750$= 4250$ for Colonoscopy.

It is especially true if someone in your family had colon cancer before 50 yr.

Example: Dr.OZ ‘s children would be advised to get screening at 40 yr.-as their father found a precancerous polyp at 50 yr.

Katie Couric‘s husband died at 42 yr.--his children would be advised to get screening at 31yr.age.

This 10 yr.rule is for Early detection of polyp.

Now insurance is sticky about paying for people under 50.But it is your life. You can afford 750$ facility fee,but NOT 5000$ facility fee charged by others in Geneva.There is no discounting for List price of 5000$ as it won‘t go thru your insurance. They will note-NOT covered--say-you are responsible for 5000$-full amount.

American Colonoscopy Center charges 750$ for facility-so call them.

5) American Colonoscopy and Endoscopy Center located next to Geneva Commons have much lower facility fees and is JCAHO certified. The specialist at this facility was trained for 3 years at The Cleveland Clinic-rated # 2 by US News & World report.He has done over 15000 Colonoscopies,Endoscopy,E.R.C.P. in last 16 years .

He did his MD from top rated #1-medical school in USA.After his 3 years residency in internal medicine from Johns Hopkins,he was selected by top #1 and #2 rated fellowship programs in America--Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic. After that he was selected by Univ.Of Virgina Digestive Diseases Center for advanced Therapeutic-interventional one year training where he performed over 500 ERCP,EUS under the world class Endoscopist who certified him.While at Univ.of Virginia-he had the title of instructor for training other Gastroenterology Fellows after he finished his certified ERCP training. In 4 years--1999-2003, he operated in very High Volume,with most difficult cases patients conditions to do endoscopy as well as Colonoscopy or E.R.C.P.

So while you save at least 1750$--you are assured of Best Gastroenterologist. He received Governor‘s award from American College of Gastroenterology in 2002 .

So call 630 232 2025 and give it a try?