Medical
 

Anyone have any idea what the rough cost of a medical should be for a 40 year old man?

Cheapest I've been quoted from a few doctors is $475 + labwork + x-ray + ECG. None of them would actually quantify what the "+" would be until the doctor sees me, but whatever it is, it looks like adding up to quite a bit.

I'm due a check, so I'll have to pay it whatever, but just wondered if I was getting quotes in the right ballpark...?

Thanks

Re: Medical
 

I am presuming it isn't for greencard stuff so I'm sure it will cost more because it will be more extensive. Saying that, I don't see why some of these things can't be included in the price. Blood work, xray and ecg can be done in the doctor's office so if you find a doctor that can do it all there then they should be able to give you a price for the whole lot up front.

But, if they find something wrong, or that needs checking out, they are covering their backs by not giving you the whole price now.

Have you tried an urgent care facility? They may be able to give you the prices of each individual thing that may need doing. and they might be a little cheaper.

:)

Re: Medical
 

You're going to be at the couple of grand mark, minimum. Medical billing is an art rather than a science. But when you're paying cash, the adding machine automatically goes into overdrive. Of course, if you had insurance, the company would already have agreed to a contracted price which is probably around half. It might be worthwhile looking into the schemes whereby you buy a "medical discount" at the contracted price. I certainly don't recommend it, but here's the type of scheme you could look at if conventional health insurance is not within your grasp: http://iabbenefits.com/plans/premierplus/

Re: Medical
 

Uh oh....this sounds very Americanised.

Why does a medical inthe UK consist of: Blood pressure, Pulse, Temp and a "Are you feeling OK?" from the doc. while a US medical requires the combined services of thirty specialists, 4 hours of being sucked dry (blood) then a life time of being sucked dry (money)?

Re: Medical
 

Fatbrit - Couple a grand? chuffing eck! I normally get a medical every 2-3 years. In Singapore it used to cost S$250 all inclusive (approx £100). In the Uk it was ever so slightly more. It sure ain't cheap living here! Oh well.

We've got medical insurance here, but it doesn't cover a routine physical until the deductible has been met - and being the healthy bugger that I am, I haven't seen a doc (for anything other than jabs or medicals) for almost 20 years. Not that that stopped the ins companies hiking my premiums 30% on my 40th birthday - happy birthday eh - how about an NCD! I'll speak to the insurance company again and see if they can get me any discounts - they've managed it on tests for the kids (one came down from $180 to $18 - nice discount, but makes you wonder what sort of imagination they need to pad it so much in the first place!), so maybe they can help on mine.

Ben - yeah, I have no problem with them not quoting for 'work' that they won't know about till they see me, but surely a quote for a standard blood workover chest x-ray and ecg shouldn't be beyond them. The woman seemed genuinely perplexed that I should want to know what it costs! I really do have a problem with this "give us your credit card and we'll tell you later what you owe" sort of mentality. I seriously cannot think of another situation where I give someone a totally blank cheque, and it just bugs me. Repeatedly.

Re: Medical
 

If you're covered by insurance, you should be able to get their contracted prices -- so that'll be around the grand mark rather than the coupla.

I know exactly what you mean regarding medical billing. When people say they have a free market medical system here, I usually blow my top (and raise my blood pressure). It is simply corrupt!

Had a similar experience with an ultrasound scan my PCP insisted on. Was determined to find out how much it was going to cost me before I actually did it. Freakin' hours on the phone and being uncharacteristicly rude was the only way I was ever going to get that information from the HMO.

How about a nice little long weekend break in Mexico and arrange it there? You should still be quids in!

Re: Medical
 

To be honest,I'd been thinking about going back to the UK for a couple of weeks and do it with my ex company doctor, but things are that busy that I can't get away, and unlikely to be able to manage it this year.

Funny you should say about ultrasound cost - I'm still trying to get my head around a US my wife had in the ER costing over 3 times the cost of the routine ones at her gynaes, even though they are done in the same room, by the same people.....and a 'pee on a stick" pregnancy stick costing $124!!

Re: Medical
 

Must be particularly galling given that... let's face it.... you were highly unlikely to be pregnant, Yorkie.

Still, I guess they have to cover all eventualities in these physicals!

(oh, just seen that you weren't talking about your 40-year-old man's physical)

:D

Re: Medical
 

chortle chorlte:D

Re: Medical
 

Now that's the business to be in!

Re: Medical
 

Just IM'd my spouse. He had his annual medical in January this yr. The total cost was $300 and inc. labwork. We have a plan through CIGNA from his employer and his share of the cost is a little under $40.00!

He's around the age of the OP too.





NC Penguin

Re: Medical
 

Being the stick? It'd take more than $124 to get me to be in that business!

Re: Medical
 

You've got the wrong end of the ....stick.

We could buy them in bulk and cunningly sell them for $123 each.

Re: Medical
 

$300 bucks thats more like it! Will keep shopping around....

Re: Medical
 

Spouse does say that he expects prices will vary around the country so even if you can find a medical for $300.00 it may be basic or dissimilar to my spouse's medical.




NC Penguin

Re: Medical
 

[QUOTE=fatbrit]You're going to be at the couple of grand


thats cheap enough only 2 months medical insurance

Re: Medical
 

Presumably spouse was using prices Cigna had contracted with local providers? The ECG provider states a standard test is, for example, $400, CIGNA tell contract with them to pay a percentage of this (say $200), and CIGNA just charge your spouse copays and excesses (say $30).

But if you just walk in off the street and say, "give me a test, I'm paying cash," you'll get a bill for $400.

Re: Medical
 

Actually, knowing my spouse's employer, the employer probably negotiated prices with CIGNA. We have no copay for our plan either (it's a PPO if this makes any difference).




NC Penguin

Re: Medical
 

Only decent thing about the janky arse insurance the missus gets, we are allowed a full medical for free once every 2 years until we reach a certain age, can't remember what it was...and one free dental checkup/clean a year, and eye balls with free len replacement once a year and new frames every two...so i'm definately trying to wing the free frames for shades as my old ones are getting well a bit old....sun's a mare in the evenings around here...

Re: Medical
 

All ER work and materials always costs much much more - avoid them if you can wait to see your regular doctor and don't take any normal medicine from them like painkillers - you will be obscenely overcharged.

Re: Medical
 

Yeah, but on a saturday afternoon when a 3 month pregnant lady starts blleeding quite nastily, you don't really want to wait till monday to see the OBGYN.

Obscene is a good word for it - its obscene the way they take advantage of a patient you (even more than normal) because you have a situation that requires ER admission, rather than seeing the normal doctor. We went thru a similar situation in Singapore, and there the rates were the same for the 'work', irrespective of whether it had been ordered by the regular Gynae or the duty ER doctor.

Re: Medical
 

Yorkie: I have to agree with you, the medical facilities in Singapore are excellent. We had to take numerous trips to the ER at Mount Elizabeth and Gleneagles 24 hr medical centres for one reason or another (I didn't like Mt E though, visited a friend at the maternity unit and had to put the car in a lift in their multi-storey car park....nearly had a panic attack when the lift doors closed whilst I sat in the car....horrible experience). I can't really comprehend how the locals cope when they elect to stay in the cheaper non-airconditioned wards in the tropical heat though...

Our Singaporean doctor wouldn't give us any copies of our medical records when we left the country....did you get yours?

Re: Medical
 

Know what you mean about the non-aircon wards - pretty grim! And Mount E as just too big. We used Thomson Medical Centre - much smaller, more of a family feel, but just as well equipped.

Yes, we got full records when we left, no problems. I think we had to pay the copy fees for one of the doctors, but the other one (wifes gynae) just gave us a full copy no problem. My wife went back while she was pregnant with #2, and popped in to see the gynae that delivered #1. He made room in his schedule to see her, had a poke around for old times sake (say what!) and gave her a scan to make sure everything was OK before she got on the flight to come back. All for free!