I have a few questions for the experts regarding the cost of sleep studies.

I have a good friend who just went through a sleep study with a follow-up for CPAP titration in addition to the initial and f/u physician visits with Pulm.

The bill for this stuff is insane! Of course the physician fees were as expected for a new patient specialist visit. However, the first sleep study had hospital facility service charges of almost $4,000. I think the f/u for CPAP was somewhere around $2800 but not entirely sure.

Of that initial study it was about $1900 covered by insurance with another $1900 left over as a bill sent to the patient. This is with one of the Blue Cross Blue Shield plans through an employer -- not exactly bad insurance.

Is this normal?

I'm curious for my friend but also very interested in learning more about the costs because I am going into ENT and will certainly be referring many patients for sleep studies in the future. I want to know what I am getting these people into before the bills pile up too high.
Thanks

$4000 seems a bit high, but if it was a hospital-based sleep lab the facility fee could jack it up. Costs are quite variable depending on geography, dominant insurance plan in the area, etc. $2800 seems closer to what I've been accustomed to.

Keep in mind that some patients have better insurance than others too, so how much the patient actually has to pay out of pocket is also highly variable.

It's probably cause you are not seeing from the angle of .... I am sleeping 1 night in a hospital...

1 night on a regular ward in most hospitals with the facilities/utilities usually costs over $1000. Now imagine adding moniters, EEGs, a nurse to watch you, a physician to read the studies... etc etc. Take it from there.

The standard commercial insurance allowable for a non-hospital sleep study is 900-1600, depending on the state and wether its a psg or titration (generally the titration pays 50-100 more). This is the global fee (technical and professional component billed together). Not sure why your friend was charged so much.

It's probably cause you are not seeing from the angle of .... I am sleeping 1 night in a hospital...

1 night on a regular ward in most hospitals with the facilities/utilities usually costs over $1000. Now imagine adding moniters, EEGs, a nurse to watch you, a physician to read the studies... etc etc. Take it from there.

interesting point

It was a hospital-based sleep lab, so that could certainly explain why the charges were on the high end of what might be considered normal. I'll try to take a look at the bill and see if I can make any more sense out of it.
Thanks

when I had a sleep study it was $900. blue cross would not cover it.

$4000 seems outrageously high

Very nice post. Had the same inquiries.