Broken Foot Cost

Typical costs:

• Without health insurance, diagnosis and treatment for a broken foot typically includes the cost of the X-ray, a facility fee and a doctor fee for a typical total of $500 or less for a minor stress fracture treated with rest and ice at home up to $2,000 or more for non-surgical treatment of any other type of fracture, and $6,000 to $17,000 or more if surgery is required. A foot X-ray costs an average of $170, according to NewChoiceHealth.com^[2] , but some providers charge $2,000 or more. Application of a foot and leg cast typically costs $250, not including the doctor fee and surgical treatment of a broken foot typically costs about $5,100 to $13,600, not including the doctor fee, according to Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center^[3] in Lincoln, Nebraska. A typical doctor fee for non-surgical treatment of a fracture would include $90 to $200 for an office visit and could also include $250 to $950 for a procedure, such as realignment, or $2,000 or more for surgery, according to Carolina Orthopaedic Surgery Associates^[4] .
• Treatment for a broken foot typically would be covered by health insurance. A patient with insurance would typically have to pay an X-ray copay, an office visit copay and coinsurance of 10% to 50% percent for the procedure. The cost could range from $100 for a minor stress fracture to the yearly out-of-pocket maximum for surgery.

• For a stress fracture -- which can be caused by a sudden increase in exercise, such as walking or running -- about a month of rest is typically the only treatment needed.
• For other types of foot fractures, the doctor will realign the bones, then will apply a cast or brace or require the patient to wear a special shoe to keep the bones in place during the six to eight weeks of healing. In rare cases, surgery to insert hardware to hold the bones in place could be required.
• The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons^[5] offers a primer on foot fractures.

• Crutches typically cost $15 to $40 for basic crutches or up to $100 for deluxe forearm crutches. Crutches typically are covered by health insurance with a durable medical goods copay.
• A standard manual wheelchair costs an average of $500.
• Going to an emergency room for initial treatment could add a $500 or more emergency room visit fee to the final bill.

• Some hospitals and podiatric and orthopedic surgeons offer discounts for uninsured/cash paying patients. For example, Washington Hospital Healthcare System^[6] in California offers a 35 percent discount for uninsured patients as well as a financial assistance program for qualifying uninsured patients. The Southern California Orthopedic Institute offers discounted services for cash-paying patients, as does For Your Feet Podiatric Medicine/Foot Surgery in Colorado.
• Some free clinics, such as the Community Health Free Clinic^[7] in Chicago, offer orthopedic and podiatric specialty care. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services^[8] offers a directory of federally funded health centers. These centers are open to anyone and fees are charged on a sliding scale based on federal poverty guidelines; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends contacting clinics directly for specific information on their discount policies. If the nearest clinic doesn't offer orthopedic care, ask for a referral.

• A broken foot would be treated by an orthopedic surgeon or a podiatric surgeon. A sports-related injury also could be treated by a doctor who specializes in sports medicine, who could be either a family physician or an orthopedic surgeon.
• The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery^[9] offers an orthopedic surgeon finder by city, state or zip code. The American Board of Podiatric Surgery^[10] offers a doctor locator. And the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine^[11] offers a doctor locator; it is important to check board certification.

1.  www.emedicinehealth.com/broken_foot/page10_em.htm
2.  www.newchoicehealth.com/Directory/Procedure/108/Foot%20X-Ray
3.  tp.chi.acelogicus.net/nese/Default.aspx
4.  www.c-osa.com/charges.htm
5.  orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=a00165
6.  www.whhs.com/about/washington-hospital-discount-policy-for-uninsured/
7.  www.communityhfc.org/referals.htm
8.  findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov/Search_HCC.aspx
9.  www.abos.org/find-a-certified-orthopaedic-surgeon.aspx
10.  www.abps.org/content/resources/FindADoctor.aspx
11.  www.aoasm.org/find-a-do/

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