Lurker with u/s $ question

kelly321 · January 2012

DH and I aren't going to TTC #2 for a couple of months yet, but for reasons that are too complicated to explain in a short post, I was wondering whether any of you who pay OOP could tell me how much an u/s costs where you are. I'm sure it varies, but hopefully if I get a few answers then I'll have a ballpark range.

TIA!

mollyxcate · January 2012

Our insurance (tricare) only cover 2 u/s for your entire pregnancy (I know people who get more than this in their first trimester!!) so a lot of girls pay oop to have the 20 week u/s so they can find out what they are having. For a 3D u/s at a different office around here they pay between $100-200. Hope that helps! Not sure if thats going to vary that much place to place.

hterry85 · January 2012

With DD I had one more u/s than what the insurance covered, and it cost us I believe $230. If you don't have insurance at all it might be more.

tiffanya311 · January 2012

Hi there, luckily my insurance (avmed) covers everything after the initial visit to confirm pregnancy, but with my first daughter I wanted to get a u/s confirmation of gender before my DOC could see me so I paid OOP for two through out my pregnancy, a regular 2d cost me $60 at a local preggo store that offers that here in Miami, and my second which was 3D cost me $75 (at a specialty office). HTH

mego1988 · January 2012

I'm in Texas and it varies depending on what you want. I've seen a normal scan priced at around $65 and a 3D anywhere from $85 -$100. Just search online in your area. Some places have package deals as well that gives you more than one, or a few different types in different stages of pregnancy. My insurance only covers the 20 week unless there is a medical need but I'm on Medicaid.

Sillylttleone · January 2012

I work for a large insurance company and HIGHLY suggest you get insurance!! It's really important, especially when your pregnant. There are so many tests, screenings, ultrasounds, office visits that add up to big $$$$. Also, there are alot of things that can happen unpredictably or can go wrong which only costs more and more money. It's not worth the risk, or the chance of debt to go uncovered. Many states offer free care, or subsidized care based on your income. All states have different rules, but pregnancy usually is a qualifying event that will allow you to get assistance.

As far as ultrasounds, I''ve had 3 so far... The first one was part of a ER visit (my first one ever) It was $2600. I started spotting and freaked out!! I had a tear in my uterus but given time to heal - it is all better now. The other 2 were just follow up checks. They both were $1600 each. But....My insurance paid them all in full, and I didn't owe a penny for any of them. Also, not to scare you but you need to know that a inpatient stay (delivery of your baby) is a minimum of $10,000-$30,000 for a perfectly healthy baby. If things aren't perfect and you have lots of complications, it can be much more.

If you need help finding coverage in your area, let me know. I'd be more then happy to help you!

kelly321 · January 2012

Silly, I may come back to you on your offer, but to clarify - I have insurance. The problem is that I live overseas but am hoping to be in the US for a good portion of my 1st and 2nd tri for my next pregnancy (depending on how quickly it takes me to get pregnant). My insurance here will reimburse me for the cost of my prenatal care in the US, but only at the rates they cost here. In other words, a regular u/s here costs 40? (about $60), so that's all they'll reimburse me for, regardless of how much it actually cost. So I'll be paying the rest OOP. That's why I want to know.

I had HELLP with my last pregnancy, so I fully understand that things can go wrong. My state insurance here is fabulous and I paid 10? total for an 8 day stay for me, a c/s, and DD's 16 day NICU stay. And for further clarification - if anything should go wrong with the pregnancy while I'm in the US, a secondary insurance I have would kick in and cover all of those costs. Basically it's only the difference in cost of regular prenatal care here and there that I have to come up with on my own.

Sillylttleone · January 2012

Ohhh i see! Insurance is kind of crazy here, because everything is based on contractual charges (allowed amounts). As an example,- the "charged" amount for my ultra sound was $1600, The "allowed" amount that insurance paid was $767, and the provider wrote off the balance between those numbers as a contractual adjustment, with that - it was considered to be paid off. So i'd find out from your insurance, do you have to pay the difference based on the charged amounts or the allowed contractual amounts, or generally both - just anything above what they normally pay.

Alot of the cost will also depend on where you live. Every state has different pricing. I live in Mass which is the absolute highest in the US. Once you figure out where you'll be, you could contact any general hospital and ask their pricing. You can google - hospital cost estimator and whatever state you'll be in. There should be a tool on there you can use as a guide.

Hope this helps! Good Luck!!

mrsadamc 05 · January 2012

At my OB's office they bill my insurance for at least $300 every time.

My NT scan was over $600 (I paid OOP).

kelly321 · January 2012

mrsadamc 05:
At my OB's office they bill my insurance for at least $300 every time.
My NT scan was over $600 (I paid OOP).

Well crap. I paid for my NT OOP as well, and it was also 40? (~$60). Maybe I'll just have to have a talk with the dr beforehand and explain the situation so I (hopefully) don't get charged the full amount if that's not even what insurance companies have to pay. To make things more expensive, at some point I'll have to start going to an MFM because of the HELLP. If I were here in Germany, my OB would send me to an MFM from the start, but I guess we'll see...

GreenMonkey1 · January 2012

I would call your doctor and ask. Sometimes if you are paying OOP (but have insurance) the provider will still give you the insurance discount instead of charging you the full amount.

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