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 |  | With Health Insurance: Copay or 10%-50% Coinsurance |  | Without Health Insurance: $20-$200+ |
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An ankle brace can be used for a variety of conditions and injuries, including sprains, tendonitis, osteoarthritis and tendon injury.
Typical costs: |
- For patients covered by health insurance, the typical out-of-pocket cost for a doctor-prescribed ankle brace consists of a durable goods copay or coinsurance of 10%-50%. An ankle brace typically is covered by health insurance if it is prescribed by a doctor.
- For patients not covered by health insurance, an ankle brace typically costs about $20-$200 or more, depending on the type of brace and the condition being treated. The cost tends to be lower for a brace made from elastic or fabric that offers light to moderate support, and higher for a brace made of plastic or lightweight metal that offers maximum support. For example, BetterBraces.com offers ankle braces for injuries for $7-$75, and CVS offers basic ankle braces for about $10-$50. BraceShop.com charges from about $20-$100 or more for an ankle brace for Achilles tendonitis. Walgreens charges about $10 for an elastic ankle brace to about $100 for a hard-shell walking boot. BraceShop.com charges from about $25-$115 for an ankle brace for a sprain. BraceShop.com charges $15-$150 for an ankle brace for osteoarthritis. And BraceShope.com charges about $30-$220 for a brace for ankle instability or tendon injury.
Related articles: Crutches, Physical Therapy, Sprained or Broken Ankle, Ankle Replacement, Pain Management
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What should be included: |
- A brace can be used to reduce swelling and provide support for a sprained ankle[1] and also can be worn to prevent sprains in athletes.
- A brace can be used to support the joints and help reduce pain in patients with osteoarthritis in the ankle[2] .
- A brace can be used to provide support for patients with ankle instability[3] . For mild cases, a lace-up cloth brace might be used, while a boot might be used for more severe cases.
- In some cases, a doctor will recommend or prescribe an off-the-shelf brace, but in other cases, an orthotist[4] will evaluate, help design and fit a patient with a brace.
Additional costs: |
- Crutches typically cost about $15-$100.
- In some cases, such as after an injury or surgery, physical therapy might be required at a cost of about $50-$350 per session.
Discounts: |
- Drug stores and websites that sell braces sometimes may offer coupons or special offers. For example, BraceShop.com has a savings club[5] that offers a 5% discount for signing up.
Shopping for an ankle brace: |
- A family doctor or sports medicine doctor can prescribe a prophylactic brace to prevent sports injuries, while an orthopedic surgeon -- preferably one who specializes in conditions of the foot and ankle -- can treat injuries and perform surgery, and a rheumatologist can treat arthritis. The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society offers a locator for orthopedic surgeons[6] who specialize in conditions of the foot and ankle; and the American College of Rheumatology offers a rheumatologist locator[7] .
- In some cases, a patient may need to see an orthotist, a certified health professional who specializes in braces and other orthotics, to get evaluated and fitted for a brace. The American Board for Certification in Orthotics, Prosthetics & Pedorthics offers an orthotist locator[8] by state.
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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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What People Are Paying - Recent Comments |
| Posted by: Geofffff in Adelaide, NY. | Posted: February 16th, 2019 09:02PM |
| Type of Brace: | Condition Treated: Broken ankle |
Cheap ankle braces off wish for when you require one doctor prescribed one after I broke my ankle and after I started rehabilitation. |
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| Posted by: Nav in Yardley, PA. | Posted: June 27th, 2018 09:06AM |
| Type of Brace: Xceltrax air ankle | Condition Treated: Stress fracture |
Had a stress fracture in my left foot. Doctor at Pennsylvania foot and ankle assoc gave me a ankle brace and charged my insurance $400 for the same. I checked the price of this item on distributors website and it comes out to $60. Insurance paid 160 and rest is on me. I asked the clinic why they charged me nearly 7 times the amount and they say it’s the way it is. Clinic is looting people this way |
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| Posted by: Rosebud with RA and Fibro in Houston, TX. | Posted: June 3rd, 2016 05:06PM |
| Type of Brace: Top Shelf Orthopedic | Condition Treated: ankle pain |
Doctor prescribed ankle lace up ankle brace and billed my insurance $539.99. Nothing was actually fitted and PA spent about 3 minutes showing me how to put on which any 10 year old could do. There is nothing special about this brace and am appalled at the cost. My insurance did get them down to 235.00, but still way over priced. We depend on doctors to have the patients best interest at heart, no have them gouged by a third party company. |
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| Posted by: nick thao in appleton, WI. | Posted: March 14th, 2016 08:03PM |
| Type of Brace: Maxtrax Air Ankle Walker | Condition Treated: rolled ankle |
I was wondering if i could possibly return it back to the clinic. I realized that my brother already had a brace that was collecting dust. |
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External Resources: |
- orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00150
- www.webmd.com/osteoarthritis/guide/foot-ankle-osteoarthritis
- www.foothealthfacts.org/footankleinfo/chronic-ankle-instability.htm
- oandpcare.org/OrthoticCareFaq
- www.braceshop.com/productcart/pc/viewContent.asp?idPage=151
- www.abos.org/find-a-certified-orthopaedic-surgeon.aspx
- www.rheumatology.org/directory/geo.asp
- www.abcop.org/Pages/Directory.aspx?searchtype=Facility
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