NWR: cortisone injections

SB1512

So, at the ripe old age of 30, FI has degenerative disc disease, as well as disc protrusions of L4/L5.  He is not a candidate for surgery at this time.  Between last May and August, he received a series of cortisone injections which helped so much and basically made him pain free.  Since winter arrived, the pain has been creeping back, but it is nowhere near as bad as it was pre-shots.  He was thinking of getting another series this spring just so he could "get his summer back" and do the things he loves (mostly hiking and running). 

BUT.  Yesterday, more than 6 months after he got his first injection, he receieved an $800 dollar bill from the hospital.......a "facility charge" if you will (he has already settled what insurance did not cover with the actual physician).  As much as he wants another series, he's pissed about having to pay just to walk in their door.  Is there any way to get shots outside of a hospital situation (since I am sure they all bill you facility fees)?  I know orthopedics do give injections, but I am not sure if they do it in office, or if they would work out of a hospital setting as well.

thejucheidea

When my dad had cortisone shots, he had them done at a bone and joint clinic, not a hospital, so you might want to talk with his orthopedist. My dad also combined the cortisone shots with chiropractic and has done pretty well since his last shots like ten years ago.

AdeleDazeem

I got cortisone injections in my foot for plantar fasciitis.  They did it in the podiatrist's office with a ultrasound there.  I wasn't charged for anything but the office visit.  I know it's not exactly the same as back injections (like, at all), but I wanted to throw it out there that sometimes the injections can be done outside the hospital.  Perhaps back ones are different, though.

kaos16

mine are done through the pain management clinic attached to the hospital.  Perhaps there are pain management clinics that are separate?

SB1512

Stage: the shots were done at a pain management facility that was part of the hospital. In September/October he received bills from the spine and pain institute for the costs of the procedure that insurance did not cover. The bill he received yesterday was from the hospital itself and when he called this morning they says it was a facility fee for having the procedure done at the hospital. The bill was actually over 2500, and luckily insurance covered everything but 800. Also of note, when the bill came, there were no itemized charges like there were on the bills that came regarding the actual procedure. It just said he owed 800 and to pay within 21 days

SB1512

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_nwr-cortisone-injections?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:53007d24-02a3-4a44-b7b6-7b2094658699Post:e56c6166-2b9a-49ec-93c8-9cc2802707ea">Re: NWR: cortisone injections</a>:
[QUOTE]That sounds like someone screwed up when filing the initial charges to me.   Regardless, chances are good he's going to have to pay a fee wherever he goes, though it might be less than that.  I would call around to some orthopedic offices and if you have a big group private practice clinic nearby, check there as well.   I know we have one clinic that has something like 12 GP doctors and a full compliment of nurses, as well as a lab, sports clinic, etc.  It's not a hospital, but they can do something like 80% of all standard non invasive procedures on site, and it's much less expensive than going to the hospital proper to do it.
Posted by StageManager14[/QUOTE]

Yeah the plan is to see if we can find any orthopedic offices or pain clinics that do the procedure in house and are not part of a hospital.  I don't know if it was a screw up on the hospital......FSIL had her baby there, and included in her bill was a "facility fee" charge as well.  Seems like those fees are a way to gather money for outstanding bills from uninsured/underinsured patients who utilize the hospital.  I think when FI calls back to pay the bill by phone I am going to suggest that he request an itemized copy of the charges be sent to him, just so we can see exactly what they are charging him for.

Dreamergirl8812

Why would they charge a facility fee just for a steroid injection? A nurse can give an injection and it takes 5 minutes. It's hardly a "procedure."

SB1512

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-boards_chit-chat_nwr-cortisone-injections?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20BoardsForum:14Discussion:53007d24-02a3-4a44-b7b6-7b2094658699Post:f3d291ae-1c49-4354-9fd0-7d42c32e2775">Re: NWR: cortisone injections</a>:
[QUOTE]Why would they charge a facility fee just for a steroid injection? A nurse can give an injection and it takes 5 minutes. It's hardly a "procedure."
Posted by Dreamergirl8812[/QUOTE]

It definitely is a procedure.......at least when someone's spine is involved!  His shots were going into his back so the doctor used a flouroscope to make sure that he wasn't going to jab the needle someplace that could cause serious damage.  And overall the procedure would take about 1/2 hour-45 minutes, hardly more than 5 minutes, and definitely not something a nurse could do.