What is approximate price of dequervain's tendonitis release? i need this surgery (not immediately) but the ortho who told me about it seemed to price it a little high. i'm in southern california, wondering was the price is for facility + surgeon. i'll c

Unfortunately, : Unfortunately, this is not a question we are allowed to answer in a public forum. Each physician groups sets its own fee schedule. They are not permitted to discuss the fee schedule with physicians outside the group because of racketeering laws designed to prevent price-fixing. This plan has completely back-fired, since the insurance companies are able to price-fix and the physicians are unable to unite to make reasonable rates. What happens is, the physicians set their rates very high in an attempt to capture the random insurer who will pay the top rate. The rest of the insurers pay at a negotiated, much lower rate. However, cash-pay patients have to pay the full rate and various laws about fraud prevent giving discounts. Whereas insured patients covered the costs of the uninsured in the past, it is now the reverse!

Prices : Prices are hard to talk about. There is a fee set by the surgeon, the price that an issuance co will pay, the possibility that if there is no insurance or a finical hardship that a fee will be allowed to be satisfied with a payment plan or assistance and doctors cannot discuss fees openly even if the end result would likely be to drive the price down via competition because of concerns of price collusion or rice fixing. You can buy everything else that way but not medical services. Thank a long standing regulation for that. Your plumber or gas station can advertise prices, doctors can't.

I : I understand that you feel like you "need" the surgery. Keep in mind that de Quervain's syndrome is a benign self-limiting condition (it lasts about a year), so using a splint, etc. To get through is also an option. Surgery is elective and for quality of life. Those who choose surgery take a few small risks, discomforts, inconveniences, and the expense to have the problem go away more quickly. It's unusual in the U.S. Healthcare system for a patient to be a thoughtful consumer bearing the costs. Can we assume that you are one of the millions of people without health insurance?