 | With Health Insurance: Copay + 10%-50% of Procedure Cost |
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 | Without Health Insurance: $200-$25,000+ |
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| Incontinence can be caused by a variety of conditions, but two of the most common are overactive bladder, which can lead to urge incontinence, and weakened pelvic muscles, due to aging and/or childbirth, which can lead to stress incontinence. | | |
| Typical costs: | - For patients covered by health insurance, out-of-pocket costs could include a doctor visit copay, a prescription drug copay and, if surgery is required, coinsurance of 10% to 50% for the procedure. Treatment for incontinence typically would be covered by health insurance.
- For patients not covered by health insurance, treatment for incontinence can start at less than $200 for a doctor visit and exercises or behavioral modification for urge incontinence or stress incontinence. For example, at Southern Illinois Urology, the cost of a doctor consultation is $150. If those simple treatments do not work, medications typically cost between $5 and $150 or more per month for urge or stress incontinence. Or, surgery -- more commonly used to treat stress incontinence -- can range from less than $10,000 to $25,000 or more. For example, at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, in Hawaii, surgery for stress incontinence typically costs about $6,000 to $7,000 if the bill is paid in 30 to 90 days, or almost $10,000 if not paid within that time. And at Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, NE, charges about $7,400 -$11,800 for a sling operation for stress incontinence, not including the doctor fee, which can add several thousand dollars to the total cost. At Wright Medical Center in Iowa, sling surgery costs about $11,900, which includes a doctor fee of about $3,200. And Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis charges about $8,900 for a female sling and $22,600 for the male sling surgery, not including the doctor fee.
What should be included: | - First, a doctor might recommend behavioral training and exercises that could include: a decrease in caffeine consumption, delayed urination, scheduled bathroom trips and/or Kegel exercises.
- If behavioral changes and exercises do not help enough, the doctor might prescribe one of a number of medications. Common brand names include Detrol, Toviaz, Vesicare and Sanctura.
- The National Institutes of Health offers overviews on treatments for urge incontinence and stress incontinence. And WebMD offers an overview of the surgical options for treating stress incontinence in women.
- Urinary incontinence, while more common in adult women, can also occur in men. The National institutes of Health has an overview of treatments for urinary incontinence in men.
Additional costs: | - Incontinence pads typically cost $5 -$20 per pack.
- Travel urinals, for use when getting to a restroom is difficult or impossible, cost less than $10 for a disposable pouch or about $30 for a reusable device.
- Bed protection can cost $15 or less for a package of disposable pads or $20 -$30 or more for a reusable bed pad.
- A study found that women with incontinence spend about $750 a year on supplies before surgery -- and $190 a year after having surgery.
Discounts: | - Some free or low-cost clinics, such as the NYC Free Clinic and the Clinic at Brackenridge in Austin, TX, offer access to specialist care. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services also has a tool to find a federally funded health clinic. If a nearby clinic does not offer urology care, they can provide a referral.
- Also, many hospitals offer discounts for uninsured/cash-paying patients.
Shopping for incontinence treatment: | - A urologist can diagnose and make treatment recommendations for incontinence. The American Urological Association has a urologist locator by zip code. It is important to make sure the doctor is certified by the American Board of Urology.
- If surgery is required, it often is recommended for a female patient to consult a urogynecologist with experience performing the type of surgery sought. The American Urogynecologic Society has a physician finder. There is no board certification in urogynecology, but it is recommended to find a fellowship-trained urogynecologist.
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Material on this page is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as medical advice. Always consult your physician or pharmacist regarding medications or medical procedures.
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Article updated June 2011 |
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