Has anyone had a sleep study at Stanford and know the cost associated?

Hello,

I just recently received a bill for an overnight sleep study and MSLT from Stanford and it came out to be slightly over $10,000. This is for the procedure alone and not the follow up doctor's visit. I've had both of these procedures done elsewhere and it didn't come out to be nearly as expensive as this, as even with insurance, I still have to pay around $6,000. Has anyone been to Stanford for a sleep study and are these charges normal? Their billing department was not helpful in explaining the cost and now I'm waiting for an itemized list as my bill just lists it as general lab procedure. Do most high end sleep centers cost this much or is Stanford unusual?

Thanks

imagineapuddle wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 02, 2019 2:51 pm

Hello,

I just recently received a bill for an overnight sleep study and MSLT from Stanford and it came out to be slightly over $10,000. This is for the procedure alone and not the follow up doctor's visit. I've had both of these procedures done elsewhere and it didn't come out to be nearly as expensive as this, as even with insurance, I still have to pay around $6,000. Has anyone been to Stanford for a sleep study and are these charges normal? Their billing department was not helpful in explaining the cost and now I'm waiting for an itemized list as my bill just lists it as general lab procedure. Do most high end sleep centers cost this much or is Stanford unusual?

Thanks

No idea if this will help, but here's a forum search on "Stanford".

search.php?keywords=stanford


Den

.

Nothing makes sense in the realm of costs and healthcare anymore, no matter how able the pros are at keeping a straight face and pretending that it all does.

Cost and Health Insurance

Sleep testing centers may be associated with a university or operate for-profit, with vastly different expenses charged for testing.

Overnight polysomnograms may cost from $600 to $5,000 (or more) for each night; the average is typically around $1000 to $2000 per night. Insurance, including Medicare, may cover the majority of this expense. Your ultimate costs will likely depend on your insurance type as well as specifics related to your annual deductible and other factors outlined in your policy.--https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-to- ... dy-3015121

The MSLT has its own additional costs, especially at a hospital:

The price of an MSLT varies from sleep center to sleep center. Hospital-based tests generally cost more than free-standing, non-hospital sleep center tests. The price for an MSLT can range from $600 – $2200.--https://www.sleepassociation.org/sleep- ... ency-test/

And Stanford, being the frank folks that they are, say on their site only:

It is your responsibility to know your insurance coverage and benefits. Call the customer service number on your insurance card and ask for eligibility for benefits. You will need the CPT codes below when inquiring about coverage.--https://stanfordhealthcare.org/medical- ... ation.html

Hopefully the price you are seeing is not the true price negotiated by your payers. If that is the actual negotiated price and there are no satisfying answers forthcoming from your insurance people or from Stanford, perhaps there are volunteers in your community who have experience dealing with highway robbers . . .

I would consider them high-end on quality and on their sleep programs, but still, wow, if that's the true price.

I sure hope you have insurance.

If you haven't learned already, medical billing is the provider's fantasy, not reality unless you are a poor sucker without insurance or whose insurance won't cover that provider.

Medical providers bill this way as a negotiating tool with Medicare and other 3rd party insurers. Medicare regularly audits providers, and other insurers set their own contract rates, but they do look at what the provider bills and cut it down from there. So if Stanford billed what it really cost plus a reasonable profit, they would get far less from insurers. That's why they bill these ridiculous numbers.

NEVER pay a medical bill until your insurer has reviewed the bill and issued an Explanation of Benefits. Then you only pay what the insurer says you owe, that's almost NEVER the difference between what your insurance pays and your provider has billed.

Sure hope you have insurance . . .

Last night a friend of mine who used to work at Stanford, said the cost for one night at Stanford hospital is $10,000 and it doesn't include the cost for the medical staff or procedures . . .