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 |  | With Insurance: $100+ (Non-surgical) to Out-of-Pocket Maximum (Surgery) |  | Non-surgical Treatment: $500 or Less |  | Surgical Treatment: $11,000-$17,000+ |
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Typical costs: | - Without insurance, diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of a broken collarbone (clavicle) typically costs $500 or less. A clavicle X-ray costs about $210 on average, according to NewChoiceHealth.com[1] , but some radiology centers charge $1,000 or more. A typical office visit doctor fee for a fracture would be $90 to $200, according to Carolina Orthopaedic Surgery Associates[2] .
- Without insurance, surgical treatment typically costs between $11,000 and $17,000 or more. Clavicle fracture surgery costs between $8,562 and $15,021, not including the surgeon's fee, according to according to Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center[3] in Lincoln, Nebraska. And a typical surgeon's fee for treatment of a fracture could reach $2,000 or more, according to Carolina Orthopaedic Surgery Associates[4] .
- Health insurance usually will cover a broken collarbone. Typical expenses with insurance could include doctor visit copays and, if surgery is required, coinsurance of 30 percent or more. For non-surgical treatment, costs could be $100 or less, but for surgical treatment the total could reach thousands of dollars, or the yearly out-of-pocket maximum,.
Related articles: Broken Arm, Broken Leg, Broken Back
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What should be included: | - For non-surgical treatment, the doctor typically will fit the patient with an arm sling or a brace and prescribe pain relievers. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons[5] offers an overview of non-surgical treatment for a broken collarbone.
- For surgical treatment, the doctor typically will make an incision and implant metal pins, a plate or other hardware to hold the bones in place during healing.
Additional costs: | - Going to an emergency room for treatment initially could add $1,000 or more to the final bill; costs could include an emergency room visit fee and an emergency room doctor fee.
- For patients who have a broken bone treated surgically, metal hardware usually can be left in, unless it causes irritation in the future; if removal is required, it can cost between about $2,533 and $11,710 or more, according to Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center[6] in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Discounts: | - Some orthopedic specialists offer discounts for uninsured/cash paying patients. For example, Southern California Orthopedic Institute offers discounted services for cash-paying patients, and Northwest Community Hospital Orthopedic Services Center[7] , in Chicago, offers discounts for prompt payment.
- Some free clinics, such as Community Health Free Clinic[8] in Chicago, offer orthopedic specialty care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services[9] offers a directory of federally funded health centers; if the nearest clinic doesn't offer orthopedic care, ask for a referral.
Shopping for a broken clavicle: | - The general practitioner can refer the patient to a specialist. Or, the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery[10] offers an orthopedic surgeon finder by city, state or zip code. For a sports injury, another option is to seek treatment from a sports medicine specialist, which could be either a family physician or an orthopedic surgeon; the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine[11] has a doctor finder.
- If surgery is required, risks include: reaction to anesthesia, infection, blood clots, reaction to hardware and even death.
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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: Dandre in York, Other. | Posted: July 9th, 2020 06:07PM |
| Type of Treatment: Clean break surgery | Medical Center: |
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| Posted by: alsoannoyed in Milwaukee, WI in Milwaukee, WI. | Posted: July 12th, 2017 12:07PM |
| Type of Treatment: xray and sling | Medical Center: Medical College of Wisconsin |
| Insurance Carrier: Network Health |
Previous commenter's experience matched ours almost precisely. Paid $1600 at out-of-state emergency room for a non-displaced clavicle fracture. ER doctor said his break would heal fine and that he didn't even need a sling. We called his pediatrician the next day to inform her and to make sure it would be safe to travel in a few weeks. We were told that he should see the pediatrician for a checkup when we got back in state. When we called to make this appointment (we assumed to be a routine office visit), they set it up with an orthopedic instead of his pediatrician. When we arrived at the appointment, they wanted to take all new Xrays ("we can't get yours to work"). We insisted they use the disc we brought. Even so, they roped us for another $2000 for "treating" a clavicle fracture that, by this point, was almost fully healed. They literally looked at Xrays, asked him to raise his arm, and told us he'd be fine.
As previous poster stated, robbery. |
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| Posted by: annoyedwithhealthcarecosts in Milwaukee, WI. | Posted: November 15th, 2016 02:11PM |
| Type of Treatment: xray and sling | Medical Center: Medical College of Wisconsin |
| Insurance Carrier: United Healthcare |
paid over $1300 at emergency room for xray and nylon sling. then made the mistake of attending Childrens hospital ortho for a followup; using xray from ER, the PA supervised and reviewed while nurse applied the sling/arm strap. total cost for 15minutes with no MD present; another $1700. robbery. |
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External Resources: | - www.newchoicehealth.com/Directory/Procedure/97/Clavicle%20X-Ray
- www.c-osa.com/charges.htm
- tp.chi.acelogicus.net/nese/Default.aspx
- www.c-osa.com/charges.htm
- orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00072
- tp.chi.acelogicus.net/nese/Default.aspx
- www.nch.org/medical-services/orthopedic-services/index.php
- www.communityhfc.org/referals.htm
- findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx
- www.abos.org/find-a-certified-orthopaedic-surgeon.aspx
- www.aoasm.org/find-a-do/
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