My wife, who works OB as an RN apparently received a group email that two circumcisions on one day did not have appropriate charge sheets filled out. Had this oversight not been found, the hospital would not have charged out for two circumcisions. How much was one circumcision worth?
Reportedly, her hospital charges $1,600 for a circumcision. I should resign, take a class on how to hold the scissors, put a sign in my front yard and charge $800 a snip. Talk about cutting edge competition. Now that's a market economy at work for you.
I might warn you though. Just don't set up shop in San Francisco where there is a proposal to ban circumcisions. You might get a year in the slammer.
I wonder how much a Rabbi charges.
ReplyDeletedoes ob do it where you are and not peds?
ReplyDeletethat's a lot of money for a little skin.
For all those who think surgeons make
ReplyDeletetons of money operating aren't living
in the real world. I'm a urologist in NC; I get roughly $200 for a circ. With slow OR turnover, circs are money losers--they are not worth the time. Most urologists can make more money not operating and seeing more pt's in the office. Those are the facts. Now a GI doc can do 4-6 scopes an hour at $300 or more. In my town there the guys doing well.
I think you fell for the "what they charge" as opposed to "what they actually get reimbursed" trick.
ReplyDeleteWhat I posted was what the hospital charges, not the surgeon.
ReplyDeleteAnd of course, what ob says, you can charge anything you want. What you get paid is a different story all together.
However, the fact that anybody "charges" $1600 to snip a piece of skin is absolutely ridiculous and is an insult.
What if that person's mother didn't have insurance?
They pay what the hospital charges, unless they know how to work the system.
"What if that person's mother didn't have insurance?"
ReplyDeleteThat would be a lucky boy. Luckier than me, anyway. Circumcision is pointless unless you're in it for the money.
Hmmmm . . . $1,600 bucks for a 10 minute procedure? That works out to $9,600.00 per hour! Even at $200.00, it still works out to $1,200.00 per hour. Mercedes payment due? Lie to the parents about the benefits and sell a few more!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me. A few years ago, the North Carolina Legislature voted to defund Medicaid payments for neonatal circumcision. In less than a week, more than a million dollars flowed into the campaign coffers of North Carolina legislators and just 10 days after the vote, it was rescinded. If circumcision is such a money loser, why this extreme effort to protect it. It makes me wonder which are the most greedy and treacherous, politicians or doctors? I guess the politicians got the last laugh on this one. They took the doctor's money and passed the very same law the next legislative session!
There are no arguments, circumcision is a worthless procedure to stuff doctor's pockets. It has no value in modern medicine and is nothing more than the sexual violation of a man at the most vulnerable time in his life in the most personal and violent way possible.
I do not care what this particular procedure costs. What boggles the mind is that insurers -- and Medicaid!! -- would actually pay for it. Since when is a foreskin a pathological condition, and why do my taxes go towards supporting its removal?
ReplyDeleteCheers,
Felix.
Felix, many private insurers no longer pay for neonatal circumcision and others are slowly following suit. To date, 17 states no longer pay for circumcisions with 16 of those states joining the club since the turn of the century. Unfortunately, there is evidence some doctors are still providing circumcisions by skirting the laws with false diagnoses of infections, phimosis, etc. These are being reported for investigation and possible prosecution of defrauding the Medicaid program.
ReplyDeleteFor all the misinformation being thrown around. Let me be clear. This blog entry indicated that this was the hospital charge. This was not the charge for the doctor. It was also a charge. Not a collection. It doesn't guarantee that the hospital will collect this fee fully or partially from any insurance company.
ReplyDeleteRemove thy blinders and take a deep breath.
be clear, it is not 800 dollars, i do circumcisions, and i get 40 dollars for doing a circ.
ReplyDeleteI don't think doctors should be paid at all for a circumcision. The procedure goes against the Hypocratic Oath of Do No Harm. The U.S. should follow the lead of other countries in this case and discontinue an unnecessary and completely cosmetic procedure.
ReplyDelete