Everyone has to understand that part of the price variance charged by hospitals etc, is dependant on the actual procedure. 1 adr or 1 fusion is 1/4 the price of 4 levels for the surgery. More OR time is alotted. 1 level may often be released earlier than multi-level patients. Currently in the US, 1 Charite adr is $11,500. As a 1 level cash patient, the hospital fee would probably be around $25k. The hardware for me was 45k before anything else was taken into consideration.

Dr R. charges $7500 for the first implant and then up from there. His fee for me was $20k. Therefore, the cash price was a 1 level might be under $40k but for multiples it goes up about 20-25k each level.

You really can't compare costs unless you're talking about the exact same procedure.
Dale

Dale, agreed.

What also needs to be appreciated (wrt to comments earlier in this thread, and others) is that any US health insurance company that pays for any sort of ADR procedure performed in Europe (no matter the vastly reduced cost) has limited their own credibility to deny a similar claim filed by any patient claiming a similar case performed in the US (at a vastly inflated rate). If they pay for mine at 30,000 Euros, how can they deny yours at 85,000 Dollars?

Frankly, the capitalist and political natures of this situation suck. It will be a fine day in America when a spiney can expect to receive the specific and timely care s/he needs, based on his/her medical necessity and availabilty of care, rather than how much it will cost whom, or who will be liable if it doesn't suit Pollyanna's ideal. IMO, malpractice insurance is killing us here.

I'm lucky to have great health insurance (BCBS FEP), but I am not ignorant as to why I should be grateful,

-j

Hi all,
Very interesting info here. The hospital that I was talking about that quoted me the $20,000 for the ADR used to be called Midway Hospital and now is called Olympia Medical Center. It's in Los Angeles.

Century City hospital quoted me a price somewhere in the $78,000 price, back to tryinmg to get Medicare to reimburse the going price.

Cervie best wiishes for your surgery with Dr. Regan! They won't change their minds if they have already booked you, it's getting past the booker that is the difficult part.
It certainly is depressing having to be on hold with life because some non-medical people make decisions that affct how you can live your life. People seem to change their tunes when it happens to them.

Dale,
Is that Oct. 12 as in 05? Wednesday? Are you there now? You said less than half, half of what number?