A shoulder dislocation can be a serious injury and symptoms can include severe pain, swelling and an arm that appears to be slightly turned.
Typical costs:
Without health insurance, diagnosis and treatment for a dislocated shoulder typically includes the cost of the X-ray, a facility fee and a doctor fee for a typical total of less than $1,000 if anesthesia is not required up to $8,000 or more if anesthesia is required. A shoulder X-ray costs an average of $210, according to NewChoiceHealth.com[1] , but some providers charge $1,500 or more. Treatment of a dislocated shoulder without anesthesia costs about $400, not including the doctor fee, while treatment with anesthesia ranges from $2,400 to $8,700, not including the doctor fee, according to Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center[2] in Lincoln, Nebraska. A typical doctor fee could range from $250 to $950 for the procedure, according to Carolina Orthopaedic Surgery Associates[3] .
Treatment for a dislocated shoulder is typically covered by health insurance. A patient with insurance would typically pay an X-ray copay, an office visit copay and coinsurance of 30%or more for the procedure. The cost could reach the yearly out-of-pocket maximum if anesthesia is required.
Dislocated shoulders often are treated in an emergency room, where the doctor will order an X-ray to confirm the diagnosis, then will physically relocate the shoulder and apply a sling to hold it in place. eMedicineHealth.com offers an overview of dislocated shoulder treatment[4] .
Additional costs:
A shoulder sling[5] , often used during the recovery process, can cost $30 to $80 or more. A shoulder brace[6] , which might be worn by an athlete whose shoulder was dislocated, can cost $30 to $50 or more.
Going to an emergency room for initial treatment could add an emergency room visit fee of $500 or more to the final bill.
Discounts:
Some hospitals and orthopedic specialists offer discounts for uninsured/cash paying patients. For example, Washington Hospital Healthcare System[7] in California offers a 35% discount for uninsured patients as well as a financial assistance program for qualifying uninsured patients. And the Southern California Orthopedic Institute offers discounted services for cash-paying patients.
Some free clinics, such as the 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. 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.
Shopping for a dislocated shoulder:
A dislocated shoulder might require immediate treatment at a hospital emergency room. An orthopedic surgeon would treat a dislocated shoulder, but it also could be treated by a sports medicine doctor.
The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery[10] offers an orthopedic surgeon locator by city, state or zip code. The American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine offers a doctor locator.
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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Urgent care visit for shoulder dislocation after skateboarding accident for college age son. We had an excellent Dr and service. Used muscle relaxing injection, before X-ray, repositioning procedure (fee for the facility and dr.), after X-ray for the service cost. Done with minimal time and cost.
Dislocated shoulder diagnosis, X-rays and treatment with anesthesia. Attempted to reset shoulder with pain medication, but anesthesia was eventually required.
Went to the ER at 6am. Had to wait 90 minutes before saw doctor or received a shot for the pain. Had X-ray taken, and 20 minutes after shot/IV, doctor reset the shoulder. CIGNA Connect deductible of $7000, so I will have to pay the entire cost, and all but $839 is above the allowable reimbursement rate, so if doesn't go against my deductible. Ridiculous.
Went to ER after urgent care sent me, I have no health insurance, no surgery was required, no ambulance. Doctor spent all of 10 minutes to put it back into place.. two weeks later received a $6,000 bill in the mail
Fell and dislocated my shoulder. Fire department helped me up. Went to our Chiropractor and he took Xrays to confirm it was not broken just dislocated. He reset my shoulder back in place and charged me just $35. What a huge blessing!
Due to the criminal practice of balance billing at Humana's in-network facility. Tejano Emergency Physicians billed me $977.28 on top of me paying around $751 for the Hospital bill. Total around $1728 out of pocket.
I dislocated my shoulder on 6/21/2006 and went to the E.R. where I spent the entire night because the doctor's couldn't put it back into the socket. Next morning, an orthopedic doctor came and fixed it in less than 5 minutes (his charge was separate, fair AND paid in full). The E.R. doctors tried 2x's and each time took x-rays afterward to see if they fixed it, which they did not. I researched the medical codes the hospital used in my treatment and discovered that the reimbursement rate from Medicare, Medicaid and an insurance comp. for this injury is $680.00, NOT the $2,037.00 they are gouging me for. I spoke with the hospital and offered them the going rate of $680.00 cash but they refused to work with me, so I refused to pay. Now they are sic'ing a collection agency on me. I am more than willing to pay a fair fee, but not this astronomical amount that they just seemed to pull out of their butts! Next time I go the E.R. my name will be Rodriguez and I will show no ID!
OSF charged $ 2100 for medical services and Aetna paid $200+ and I paid $962. I pay $1000 a month for medical insurance provided through my employer. Now I got one more bill from the Dr who treated me for $1300 for his medical services. Something is wronging the system if I pay $2262 for a dislocated shoulder with insurance coverage.
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