A small clue about our health care costs?

I took my older son to a dental check-up today, and it was a very efficient process. We checked in, didn't wait long to be called, and the attention was good.

Then I took a look at the full billing statement, which showed what services were provided, what they cost (rack rate), what amount the HMO covered, and what amount we owed/paid. The only amount in the last category was the $15 co-pay, which was certainly reasonable.

$77 for about 10 minutes of the dentist's time . . . probably inflated a bit to make it seem like the insurance coverage was a good deal, but I wouldn't call it unreasonable.

X-rays, fluoride treatment, etc. Fine, fine fine.

$60 for instructions on brushing teeth?!?

I know this doesn't really matter, since it's just an arbitrary amount that the HMO has decided it's going to claim that its services are worth (except that there is a cap on annual benefits), but is there any relation between that amount and reality? I was there, and it was about 2-3 minutes of a list of rules. $60???

Comments

[Williams Schermer]

$60 for brushing teeth instructions? That seems like a pretty unusual price. In fact, it's as expensive as an ordinary electric toothbrush! Perhaps you can raise that concern to your HMO provider so that they would straighten out the matter for you.