By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    improving patient experience
    6 Ways to Improve Patient Satisfaction Within Hospitals
    December 1, 2021
    degree for healthcare job
    What Are The Health Benefits Of Having A Degree?
    March 9, 2022
    custom software development is changing healthcare
    Digital Customer Journey Mapping and its Importance for Healthcare
    July 21, 2022
    Latest News
    Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
    May 16, 2025
    Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
    May 16, 2025
    Choosing the Right Supplement Manufacturer for Your Brand
    May 1, 2025
    Engineering Temporary Hospitals for Extreme Weather
    April 24, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    Can Thinking Younger Make You Live Longer?
    April 20, 2011
    Image
    Obesity’s Outlook Unchanged
    June 13, 2011
    When It’s An Emergency Elderly Not Treated As Well in Hospitals
    July 16, 2011
    Latest News
    Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
    May 18, 2025
    The Critical Role of Healthcare in Personal Injury Recovery: A Comprehensive Guide for Victims
    May 14, 2025
    The Backbone of Successful Trials: Clinical Data Management
    April 28, 2025
    Advancing Your Healthcare Career through Education and Specialization
    April 16, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: How Much Does A Colonoscopy Cost?
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Business > How Much Does A Colonoscopy Cost?
BusinessPolicy & Law

How Much Does A Colonoscopy Cost?

Michael Kirsch
Last updated: August 12, 2012 11:31 am
Michael Kirsch
Share
4 Min Read
SHARE
 

One would think that a physician who earns his living billing patients would be conversant with the prices of his services. Not this doctor.

 

One would think that a physician who earns his living billing patients would be conversant with the prices of his services. Not this doctor. I am queried periodically by patients asking how much I charge for a colonoscopy. Of course, every physician recognizes that this question is not phrased properly. It doesn’t matter what we charge; it’s what an insurance company determines we will be paid. I might believe that your colonoscopy was worth a thousand bucks, but those who pay the bill have a different sense of its value. Many ordinary folks think that we doctors can simply raise our prices to enrich ourselves. Physicians cannot do this. The hardware store and the supermarket can raise prices in response to rising overhead and market forces, but we physicians cannot. While I realize that the public does not sympathize with physicians who are lumped in with the 1%, a pejorative term popularized by the Occupy movement.

The reality is that many private medical practices are struggling financially and have closed. Many of these practitioners have retired and others have become physician employees. Our practice in the Cleveland suburbs is feeling the squeeze and I cannot estimate how long we will remain viable. Personally, I believe that private medicine is being targeted by design, and when it becomes extinct, the public will lose an important health care resource. While I am not opining that private practice is the only model that can offer high quality medical care, I maintain that when the physician is also a business owner, that he has a strong incentive to satisfy his patients and his referring physicians. Employed physicians are given incentives, which are metrics that reward or punish them depending upon how the measure up on various ‘quality’ schema. Throughout this blog, I have railed against pay-for-performance and its cousins which claim to measure medical quality, but will fail in the mission. It’s like assessing the quality of a chef’s culinary creation by weighing the plate of food. Get the point?

Pay-for-Performance is in the lowest tier of the bottom 99% of quality control measurment. It was not designed to increase medical quality, but to control costs, which is a legitimate goal. At least have the guts to say so out loud.

More Read

Does Medical Resident Work Hour Reform Reduce Medical Errors?
Doctors and Patients Have a Failure to Communicate
Medical Marijuana in Massachusetts: Is the Application Process Broken?
Interview with Todd Dunsirn of True Process
Navigating Medical Negligence: How Legal Support Can Help You Seek Justice

I don’t have a clue what a colonoscopy costs. This is partially because I have never been interested in the business of medicine. However, colonoscopies are like airline tickets; no two passengers pay the same fare. Insurance companies have different rates. If we obtain biopsies or use a nurse anesthetist to administer the Michael Jackson juice before colonoscopic take-off, then there will be additional charges that cannot be firmly stated in advance.

When I do see what we are paid for a colonoscopy, it certainly doesn’t seem exorbitant considering the years of physician training and experience we have, the outstanding nursing care we provide, the immaculate and modern facility and equipment we use and our devotion to providing the highest quality service possible.

Who can put a price on an experience like this? Not us.

TAGGED:colonoscopyhealthcare costs
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

Clinical Expertise
Building Smarter Care Teams: Aligning Roles, Structure, and Clinical Expertise
Health care
May 18, 2025
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Grounded Healing: A Natural Ally for Sustainable Healthcare Systems
Health
May 15, 2025
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Learn how to Renew your Medical Card in West Virginia
Health
May 15, 2025
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction heart treatment
Dr. Klaus Rentrop Shares Acute Myocardial Infarction
Cardiology
May 13, 2025

You Might also Like

ACP Ethics Manual on Social Media, Catastrophes, and More

January 13, 2012

Small Business Health Insurance Tax Credit: Cashews on the Hindenburg

February 18, 2012

Patient Responsibility – What to do if they Won’t Take Any?

April 12, 2012

DC Conference: FDA At A Crossroads

November 8, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?