I’m sure there are different knee replacement operations. Curious, what do some of these cost?
My knees are ok, asking for a friend.

Insurance paid for mine.

We pay a lot for that, so I'm sure it all works out in the end.

Funny though, I've seen accountings for a lot of the procedures I've had over the years. What the hospital/doctor charges vs what the insurance company "allows" can be WAY different. As in thousands.

I received a bill unexpectedly once, wasn't supposed to get it, for a shoulder operation. If I'd have had to pay all of it I'd still be living with a bad shoulder. And this was 13 years ago, prices have gone up substantially.

It all depends on the age of the person and what insurance plan they are on. The individual needs to check the out of pocket that they are responsible for, making sure that they follow all the rules and stay in plan for lowest costs to them. looking at all the referrals that they have and have a copy of the referral just in case they need it for the insurance company. The paper work chain is most important to obtain the lowest out of pocket expense.

My wife and i have the same insurance company, however we have different plans and different out of pocket limits.

I think for my wife the out of pocket was under $1,500 and that included the extended rehab that she qualified for. She is a retired nurse and used to help people with the paperwork when she was working. so she was on target for her paperwork. Built a nice file and every thing went smoothly.

It cost $750 for 3 nights in the hospital, she needed an extra day before they discharged her. Rehab started the following week.

Without insurance from 60,000-$65,000.

Don't know about a knee but the eye surgeries I had done last Jan were a nightmare of tangled up bills. The hospital pointing the finger at insurance and vice versa. My wife knows medical coding and how medical billing is done, if it won't for her knowledge I'd be out another 2k over the 8k I paid.
Most of the excuses were covid covid covid. The miss coding by the hospital billing dept was obvious but getting past tamika and shamika to someone able to fix it nearly drove me to serious drink.
Good luck with your friends knee......

VA paid for mine. Best money I never spent.
George

Thanks guys.
Was comparing my brothers cost to others.
His insurance company was billed $68 grand per knee. What they paid, I don’t know.

Had my right knee replaced in 2019 at 48 years old. I think the total between insurance and out of pocket was in the neighborhood of $55k.

Depends on the type of surgery, but generally speaking, if you are footing the bill yourself, it's cheaper (and better) overseas.

Dang, knees are more prized than backs. Wife just had back surgery last month and it ran $72k. If one knee is going for over $50k......

I had full replacements on both knees 5 years ago. The total bill before insurance,contractual deductions and all that stuff for the first knee was $58,000 and change. Luckily I had insurance, the first knee cost me just over $3,000 out of pocket. Did the other knee in the same calander year and it was $700 and change.

$50K each and be ready for some intense physical therapy .

I think what the Insurance companies pay on average about 10% of what the hospital bills.

The discussion is about Knee surgery not a Lobotomy. Go play with your toys the adults are talking.

My wife has had both knees replaced in the last year w/ excellent results thanks to a great surgeon and vigorous , focused PT. Following each surgery she had home nurse visits and PT consults/therapy. Our only out of pocket expense was $120.00. Medicare and our supplemental paid >$120k in combined charges.

She can now hike like a sherpani and has almost no discomfort.

sheroy is a fool, the wealthy from all over the world come to the USA for medical care. Sheroi and his girls go to Thailand for their sex changes.


mike r

How many of our parents or grandparents never knew?

I had both knees done last summer, 3 months a part, I would advise to get them no closer than 6 months a part. I got them done 1 year before I went on Medicare, the 1 year with out pain was worth the 6-K it cost me out of pocket. I know now after every thing shook out , that was a lot of money, but it's over and I can walk and work with out any pain.. I want to say if you pay your deductable for one you have to get both done, I damn sure was not paying twice. I think total cost was 125-K to 130 for both together. I don't know anything about partial replacements, I had had 4 knee jobs before replacements, bone on bone. I tell every one to do it and don't wait..

Interesting. But were our knees meant for pavement day in day out. A lot of our grandparents walking on soft soil vs. what many of us do. Wonder about a horse that pounds pavement everyday verses one that walks pasture, trails, etc.

I could Quail or Pheasant hunt for several hours & be tired, but my knees would be no worse than the rest of me. Change that to walking a gun show for 5 or 6 hours on a hard floor & be miserable, mostly my knees. So much that I gave up the shows.

Hard pavement is the major culprit IMO. Again, just an opinion.

I'll buy that for a dollar. While in the military alot of our "humps" and PT would start out on pavement for the first couple of miles but then when we would go off-road, it seemed to feel better.

At work I used to stand on cement while tearing down transmissions, then they gave us those ergonomic mats and I no longer need my knee brace.

What's pathetic, is that ya can't just call the hospital/doctor, and get a figure.

Makes car salesmen look like angels.

2500-3000 per joint if you negotiate pre-surgery. Depending on surgery too. Complete knee replacement probably double that.

Had both replaced 02/14/20. Medicare and Plan N Supplemental Policy covered entire cost plus in home PT and then PT therapy. When doing both at same time, first knee is at pre determined Medicare rate and second knee is done at 50% rate. Nurse called and said “I’ve tremendous news...you’re in a no pay position after visiting w both insurance plans.” Had two awesome MD’s and surgical teams...one for each knee. Once out, 45” of work and off to recovery. Absolutely unbelievable result. So very pleased w recovery.

Had both total replacements in 2009. Three nights in the hospital Don't remember the cost, but think it was $50K or $60K. All paid by insurance. I paid $150 for pre-op physical and paid $30/visit for physical therapy. Forward to this January..... The plastic wore out in my left knee and had revision surgery to replace the plastic. There was also so much scar tissue in that knee the doctor said he was surprised it even functioned. One night in the hospital. All paid by insurance. Hospital was paid $46K. Doctor got about $3K and the anesthesiologist got about $5K.

I've been laying floors since i was 14, 43 yrs on my knees and hardly ever used knee pads, must be good genes because I've never had knee problems.

Trying to figure medical costs is a bad joke.

I was at a urgent care\Doc in a box place with pneumonia a couple years ago. Couldn’t get a price on the xrays, They couldn’t even tell me what the freaking Tylenol they were trying to give me would cost. I walked across the parking lot to a pharmacy and bought some.

Schit is broke. ACA just set the pile of schit on fire.

last time i got exrays i paid 29 bucks cash.

Co-pay?

I dont know if something is in the water or the air but I lived in Bklyn ny saw 1000's of old guys walking around none ever had surgery. I had 8 uncles who worked in concrete and carpenter unions longshoremen plumbers none had operations most lived to around eighty that includes my aunts who did not work. now I see a lot of guys with 3 shoulder operations on each shoulder. work done on knees hips neck back etc. Physical labor for the average guy has gone way down for the average guy so I do not get it. maybe hard work is better for the body?

Daughter needed surgery when she was younger, Dr said if insurance DOESN't pay it'll cost you $7500............... initially denied by ins., contested and then they decided they would pay.

DRs, surgery center and such billed over $80,000.............. BCBS paid $7500 and everybody was happy, my out of pocket under a grand. And somebody gets to WRITE OFF $72,500??????

We have truth in labeling laws for ketchup????? There needs to be truth-in-billing Laws for the medical 'profession'

IMHO

I have ordered about tha t with you Rodger.
Didn't know the exact numbers, but I figured you were well past the
normal age for a floor guy.

I'm 50, one of my school friends started flooring after graduation.
He was stubborn and kept at it even when it became miserable.
Been disabled for several years now, can barely walk. Haven't kept
up enough to know the details.

Le Roi thought it was about rejuvenating a vagg

BobBrown, you had vaginoplasty? Was it painful?

Like the doctor has time to answer cost questions, that would be a sure way to pay off med school being on the phone with campfire members trying to get 4.00 off a heart transplant....................grin

The hardware costs $3k-$6k depending on the hospital’s negotiated rate, the surgeon gets around the same along with the anesthesiologist. The hospital gets the rest, $40k-$50k. It is the reason so many surgeon groups are opening ASCs (ambulatory surgery centers) and doing them out-patient.

When I had my rt. knee replaced 2 years ago, I received a statement from the hospital showing a total cost of $85,000. Thank God for good insurance!

Had the left one replaced 6 weeks ago. Haven't gotten any paperwork from the hospital yet.

My wife had her knee replaced last year. The insurance was billed 95,000. We paid less then 800.

I had both knees replaced a couple months apart and I don't know for sure what the Dr. and PA got, but it was around $10,000 per knee I think. The hospital got for 3 nights a
total an amount of $53,000. I didn't have to pay any of it as the VA and Medicare paid the rest. That all took place in Oct. and Dec. 2015.
My knees are still going strong at over 900 miles (hiking), and I am sure they will outlast the rest of me.
Also, I broke my hip the last of June, and had it replaced and it is going strong---no pain or complications.
I am glad I didn't have to pay, but I would have knowing the results!