Endoscopy Cost

Endoscopy is a process in which a thin, flexible tube called endoscope is inserted in the body to assess interior surfaces of an organ. Endoscopy is mainly done to diagnose diseases of the upper GI tract based on a patient's symptoms like excessive belching, nausea, vomiting, heartburn, difficulty swallowing, upper abdominal pain, anemia, weight loss, etc. and the doctor's clinical suspicion of such disease. For upper endoscopy, gastroscope, a type of endoscope is used to visualize the throat, esophagus, stomach and duodenum (first part of the small intestine). Gastroscope comprises a light and camera at its end that enables direct observing, viewing on the monitor and taking images or videos. Through endoscopy the doctor can detect:

• Esophageal varices or abnormalities (often in alcoholic liver cirrhosis).
• Inflammation of the esophagus and rupture of esophagus in acid reflux, called Barret's esophagus.
• Gastritis (chronic gastritis caused by Helycobacter pylori), gastric ulcer and cancer.
• Inflammation of the duodenum (often in celiac disease or Crohn's disease), duodenal ulcer and cancer.
• Intestinal parasites, Whipple disease, systemic sclerosis, amyloidosis.
• Hiatus hernia, a protrusion of the upper part of the stomach.

Endoscopy is a safe procedure that causes no pain but a bit of discomfort like cramping to the patient. The procedure usually takes 20 minutes to an hour, depending on what needs to be done and the patient's condition.

Endoscopy Procedure Cost

The average endoscopy cost in the United States may vary depending upon the type of endoscopy being performed and whether the sample or biopsies are sent to pathology for evaluation or not. Another parameter is the health insurance that most of the patients have, in which the entire cost gets covered. However, patients who do not have a health insurance or are under insured, will have to bear the entire cost of the procedure by themselves.

For endoscopy, the fees charged by the facility can be more than the fees charged by the physician. In fact in New York, the hospital may charge $2,000 for an endoscopy but the physician may only charge $700 and in case a tissue sample is taken and sent to pathology, the overall cost may increase from $200 to $800, depending upon the tests being conducted on the tissue. Since, one does not know what will happen during the endoscopy, it is difficult to estimate the entire cost. Like, if the physician diagnosis a GI cancer, certainly a tissue sample will be taken which will affect the cost, but if the endoscopy is being done to determine a source of bleeding, where the sample may not be needed, the cost will be comparatively less. Generally, many endoscopic procedures are performed as a part of a hospitalization and their cost often gets added to the hospital bills after the endoscopy is done.

Now, if the patient is uninsured or under insured, the cost can be a big concern and so, it is better to talk to the surgeon regarding all the possible fees beforehand. Normally, the cost comprises the physician fees, anesthesia fees, facility fees and pathology fees and may range from $800 to $2,000. If the patient is insured, he/she should contact his/her insurer and ask about the co-pay and related fees, if any. Normally, most of the insurance companies are more comfortable paying procedures and approving the release of funds that are notified much in advance, else payment of the endoscopy usually gets disputed and delayed.

Therefore, before undergoing an endoscopy, it is better to have a fair idea regarding the different factors like hospital, procedures to be performed or cost of the sedatives and anesthetics, that may affect the cost of the endoscopy.