Mammogram Cost - Buyer Experiences and Price Information

I HAD MY ANNUAL MAMMO AT THE HOSPITAL I WORK AT (I ALSO CARRY CHW INSURANCE) I WAS BILLED FOR AN AMOUNT GREATER THAN A CASH PAYING CUSTOMER! I MET WITH THE HOSPITALS CFO...SHE REDUCED MY BILL TO THAT OF A CASH PAYING CUSTOMER. MY ADVICE...IF YOU HAVE A DEDUCTIBLE, CHECK TO SEE IF THE PRICE FOR YOUR MAMMO IS CHEAPER IF YOU PAY CASH. (USUALLY ~ $100.00) THIS YEAR,2009, I AM PAYING CASH. WHAT A SCAM, CHW IS A NON-PROFIT...WHAT A JOKE THAT IS.

Doc prescribed diagn. and additional ultrasound. Cost was over $950 (I still have not received radiologist bill). After insurance I am paying $522 plus radiologist portion. This is seriously messed up when I compare costs above and when I asked cost of this it was not provided prior to appt.

I have had experiences with both US & Canadian health care so I just wanted to point this out to show you the injustice.

Last week I decided to get my first mamogram because I found out here in Korea women start getting them in their 20s.

I was a walk-in (no appointment necessary/ no referral needed) I didn't even have to wait longer than 10 minutes. It cost me $10 USD.

I am part of the National Insurance Plan (all citizens are and foreigners who are legally employed here) I pay like $30/month.

Their healthcare system is much more efficent and their quality of care is way better.

In terms of preventive care everyone gets one free annual thorough physical exam. and prescriptions are covered too very interesting that meds that cost over $100 back home cost $2 here!

unbelievable mamogram 580.00
ultrasound 740.00
professional fees 496.00

first insurance paid 708.24
waiting for other ins. but no hopes for more than 700.00 leaving a balance with 2 insurance carries of 500.00. This is ridiculous if I were on state aid I would get it for free.

Got my yearly mammogram, as usual, age 63, breast cancer survivor, and expected not to pay out of pocket, as in the past years. My UHC pamphlets I got at open enrollment plainly stated, routine mammograms covered 100% with no copay or deductables. Then I started getting bills of $340 for hospital use, $160 for radiology dept. services. I called and complained and filled out complaints about the charges. They say my visit was not routine, I say it is. I go every year. My results were clear. However they continue to insists I am not getting a routine mammogram. In Georgia it is a state law that mammograms are covered by all Insurance company doing business in the state. I am in process of sending copies of my open enrollment pamphlets and copies of my bills to the State Insurance Commissioner for review. I hope you will also if you read this. His recent letter to the insurers stated he is to watch their efforts to reduce benefits to policy holders.

One more comment. Although my insurance carrier, Blue Cross Blue Shield, is willing to pay 100% of a "Screening Mammogram", they view the "Diagnostic Mammogram" as "not preventative", so consider it major medical. That, in my opinion, is the conspiracy. I believe that the hospitals and outpatient centers are purposefully requiring "diagnostic" mammograms just to get more money from the consumer. My "breast pain" was not a new finding and the hospital had my previous records with NO changes noted. This is the first time that they charged me so much when in the past, ALL necessary views/mammogram testing was considered part of the service. Considering that they halready had years of my previous films to support my benign condition, there was absolutely no reason to subject me to the extra testing. Like I said, it is a conspiracy to make money, nothing more!!

I will not be happy until every single citizen in this country has access to affordable screening tests like these, because they are invaluable. I also do not have insurance, and I feel for you ladies who have been charged outrageous sums whether because of lack of insurance or because your insurance doesn't cover mamms. If you want a mammogram but cannot afford one you might call your local Health Department to see if they have any programs for free or discounted mamms for women who have no insurance or whose insurance does not cover them. Pap smears, too.

For more information about mammograms and the BI-RADS categories, I found this website helpful:
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Detection/mammograms

I wish you all good health.

If the Diagnostic Mamm confirms benign findings, cool. If it shows something suspicious, however, your doctor may recommend other things, such as ultrasound, or biopsy, or both, and maybe a surgical consult.

If you have a mamm and are called to have more images, it is SO SO SO important that you have them done! Early detection is extremely beneficial and doctors DO NOT take chances with this stuff!

Ultrasound is fantastic but it would be terribly inefficient as a screening method because it can only look at a small place at a time, in real time. For breasts, u/s is used mainly to look at a specific area of concern -- a lump, if you have one; or whatever area was worrisome on the mamm(s). To use it for screening would require them to go around and around each breast and watch the screen the whole time, as opposed to a static x-ray "snapshot" of your breast (which is what a Screening Mamm is). They're not going to do a u/s until they know what they're looking for.

The two best "first line" ways to check for breast cancer are the Screening Mamm, which is quick and general, and breast exams (at least monthly self-exams, and at least yearly doctor's exams).

As to the chain of events described above by one woman, it ended up adding up to over a thousand dollars, but I am so thankful that that's where it stopped. A false alarm is better than a true one!

One of the things we hate in healthcare is the fact that many insurance companies don't cover routine screenings such as Screening Mamms and Colonoscopies, but they WILL pay for your chemo when you get breast cancer or colon cancer. It would be SO MUCH CHEAPER in the long run -- for the company, for you, for society at large -- run for them just to pay for the screenings and catch cancer earlier!

I'm 25 and have yet to get a mamm. I'm hoping that the absolutely ridiculous problems with healthcare in this country will have been solved by the time I have to have one.

I work with medical records for one of our local health systems. I'm not a doctor, or a nurse, but I do see reports every day for various kinds of mammograms and other breast health issues.

A "regular" or "yearly" mamm is called a Screening Mamm. This is done yearly for women 40+ (earlier if you have problems or if you have strong family history of breast cancer) who are healthy (have not found lumps, no past breast cancer). These are relatively quick; each breast is x-rayed from 2 angles. The radiologist assigns the images a code on the BI-RADS scale, and this determines your follow-up path.

Relating to the posts of "What is going on???" and "Sorry I Bothered!": for MOST women, a Screening Mamm is the first step. IF on the Screening Mamm they see anything abnormal, the VERY FIRST THING they will do is call you back in for "more images," or a Diagnostic Mamm. This is usually only done for whichever breast had an abnormal Screening Mamm, and it takes longer than a Screening Mamm even though it's often on only one breast, because they take x-rays from multiple angles. I read somewhere that ~10% of women are called back for a Diagnostic Mamm, and the Diagnostic Mamm clears up the issue for ~90% of those -- that is, things that look kind of funny on the Screening Mamm often are revealed on the more detailed Diagnostic Mamm to be, say, cysts, or benign calcifications, or something that docs are otherwise not worried about. But the Diagnostic Mamm is needed before they can know for sure.

Sometimes they skip the Screening and go straight to the Diagnostic Mamm -- e.g., if you have any personal history of breast cancer, or if you have any pain, nipple discharge, or if you or your doctor has noticed a lump.

Insurance does not cover any tests, so I have to pay every cent for this. Mammograms costs 244.00, someone to "read" the films 122.00. Now they want me to return for more images...HA! Not after reading all these complaints...I cannot afford more $$$. I will call and ask them if they want more images is this included in my first price. I have had 8 Mammograms through the years (57 yr.old)and have never had to return for "more" images.

I lost my insurance when I resigned from my high school secretary job in Jan. 2004 so that I might care for my 10 month old grandson while my son-in-law and daughter went to Iraq for TN Army National Guard. I have not had a checkup since then as I have been in good health (54 years old). In Sept 2009 I found a sore on breast and called The Jackson Clinic to get price on a breast exam (no insurance)... they told me $90-150. I was examined and was told it was a bug bite. The doctor said they would charge me the minimum price for the exam. I went back out and was charged $180.00, which I had to pay immediately. THIS INCLUDED A 20% DISCOUNT!! I was dumbstruck! And the doctor wanted me to get a mammogram. I had to decline as we didn't have any more money. I'm in the process of trying to find someone to give me a mammogram for a reasonable cost... no such luck yet.

My doctor ordered a yearly mammogram. Because I had some discomfort in one breast, the hospital outpatient center that I was sent to REQUIRED me to have a "diagnostic mammogram". What is a regular mammogram, if not diagnostic? Why is it that if the results of a mammogram are not conclusive, an ultrasound has to be done? The ultrasound must be a better test! It certainly doesn't squeeze your breasts into a vice, and it is a much faster test. Hmmm... Could it be that this is a way for hospital outpatient centers to make more money on the poor, frightened consumer?? It is a scam that I won't be a part of next time. I will just have a mammogram when it is offered at my grocery store!

I didn't pay anything but a $25.00 co-pay last year. This year, I paid my $25.00 co-pay and just got a bill for $135.43. The total bill is $ 334.00 What the hell is this? I can't believe it. It looks like my insurance company paid only $37. 19. I live in Georgia and this is outrageous.

I have Medicare primary and Anthem secondary as we are on Cobra now due to no work for my husband. I received a notice called "This is not a Bill" from the Hospital which runs the mammogram center. Outrageous, don't you think? And the hospital cries poor all the time!!! You ought to see it. It is like a country club for all the rich people from Pebble Beach, Carmel, etc. But we get good care. Just really have to pay through the nose for it. Our private insurance is from our Carpenters Trust Fund so there is an important attention paid in costs as it is really "OUR" money. Disgusted with fees these days.

$741.51 for the bill?? It's just Mammography. Unbelieable...! I could have all cancer screenings with CT/MRI for $500 in Japan. Again, why do we pay taxes for?

im young and this was my 1st check in my life. i took test 1/27 and i got this bill now 09/2009
why do i have to pay 500$ i called here and there to straight out the story is he say she say and im trapped in middle.idk where to ask and where to get help anymore.ridiculous. im afraid to go next yr one around corner to get this kinda bill again

Cost in 2009 $358.00
Cost in 2008 $200.00 same place.
Reason, new digital machine.
Don't know yet what the insurance wil pay.

Initial appt w/ gyn for referral - $91
Digital Mammo: 476
Ultrasound: 249
Radiologist to read mammo: 75
Follow up w/ specialized surgeon for another opinion: 130

I have an appointment next week for a mammogram and as a self-paying client, I was quoted $179 on the phone and told that it would be less than that if I tell them I am self-pay. Another facility in Dalton quoted me $195. So after reading the comments, I am keeping my fingers crossed that there won't be any surprise charges.

My wife had a mammogram two years ago and our insurance completely paid for the $340 procedure. We just got a bill for $250, and the total cost for the four X rays is $521! That is a 70% increase in
just two years. Inflation during the period is only 7%, and real wages have gone up only 7 percent too, in a recession. What is going on?

Folks, we need to protest this. I will. Our nation will soon be bankrupt from all this.

A Group Health representative previously told me that I'd need to pay a $30 copay plus 40% of the contracted fee. My Dr. referred me to Providence Breast Center in Everett, WA. I called them to find out that their fees would be $500-600. I called Group Health again to find out what their contracted fee would be, and this time a representative told me that mammograms were free. So after spending quite awhile canvasing my literature, waiting on hold, and talking with various people, I still have no real idea how much it will cost. I DO know, however, that the last time I had one, the first round was free but they called me back for additional images and that cost me several hundred dollars -- and I didn't have "catastrophic-only" insurance then. I think it's all a scam. I'm not at all encouraged to go through any of it again.

I too had a Mammogram done and it came back suspect so they did an ultra sound and found nothing as I knew they would. My insurance only paid a portion of the bill and I was stuck paying an additional 204.96. What an outrage! Just like all the others that have posted comments...I am not going to be so quick to have another any time soon! And they wonder why women won't go yearly!

And, my insurance is only covering $200-something. So I owe the rest. Husband is out of work, not sure how I can pay this, and health care providers wonder WHY we don't have preventative procedures done? I won't be getting another one, that's for sure.

Health care costs seemed to have ZOOMED even more out of countrol. This facility charged my insurance carrier $202 in 2008, $713 in 2009 for the same procedure at the same facility. This represents approx. 350% increase in 1 year. My out-of-pocket is $250 - more than the entire procedure cost last year.

Mammogram (St.Lukes) $187.32 --> to deductible
Mammogram (Radiologist) $104.00 --> to deductible
Ultrasound (St.Lukes) $271.32 --> to deductible
Ultrasound (Radiologist) $126.00 --> to deductible
Misc (Radiologist) $15.00 --> to deductible

My insurace only cover 97.00 so I have to pay the balance.
Is the cost information provided by this webpage up to date or accurate? I would like to know where can I get a mammogran test for $80 to $120?

i had a mammogram done they did the routine baseline exam. my insurance paid $127 leaving me a total of $523. this i think is too much. the fact that mamagement is being audit in this hospital.a lot of the medical doctors are leaving and God is cleaning house.

I read websites like this thinking I was getting a mammo for around $200. What this estimate fails to take into account is the fact that, if a mammo is done in a hospital, the hospital will charge you as an outpatient IN ADDITION to th cost charged by the radiologist. On top of thet, my screening mammo was abnormal, so here are my total costs for this nightmare:
Hospital Costs
$490.00 for baseline screening
$1,817.00 for follow up mammo and ultrasoung
PLUS...
Radiologist charges
103.00 baseline screening
185.00 ultrasound
107.00 follow up mammo
Yes, both the radiologist and the hospital charge you for the same exact services - WHAT A SCAM.
My crappy insurance covered half of this, so I am left with a bill for $1,200 dollars. No wonder so many women are dying. If I had known that it would cost this much I would have skipped the screening.

I just got my bill for my mammagram on 7/22/08. My portion of the bill was $191, but the total charges were $785. I am outraged that they feel this is a reasonable fee. I'm not so sure I'll have one every year at this price. I'd be better off to have been uninsured.

My insurance company has a high deductible and I have to pay for my mammogram. I was under the impression that they cost about $200.00 but I was billed $553.00. Is this too high?