Laparascopy Costs in Qld

Hi, I have been TTC for approx 2 years. I have just had a HSG done and the dye couldn't get through the left tube. FS thinks it's just a small polyp but wants to do a laparoscopy to check it out/remove it and make also remove anything else that may be getting in the way of the sperm meeting up with the egg. Hopefully once this is done it will clear the way and we'll be able to conceive naturally? Could just this small polyp have prevented me from conceiving after all this time? I have no PHI, but will be going private. My FS will be carrying out the procedure himself in a private hospital. Any ideas how much I can expect to pay and what Medicare might refund? Thank you in advance for any advice you may be able to give me.

Angela, I can give you a breakdown of my costs but a lot of the hospital costs were covered by my PHI, so not sure how much they would be-
I had costs of just over 2K to my doc, only about $650 refunded from medicare. Anesthetist only cost me $300 but that was just the gap payment after he'd claimed from my PHI.
I've just looked through my paperwork and it looks like my Lap was 1.7K with $581.20 back from medicare. PHI also paid $546 for hospital and theatre fees and accom (not sure if you'd get any of that back from medicare?) There were also added fees for an assistant and different things in theatre that added up to about $400.
As I said I paid $300 to anesthetist but PHI paid a further $250

I would guess about 3K if you're not covered? Not 100% on that though, it's just a guess from my op in Jan. I may have missed out other things that were covered by phi without me realising. Your FS should be able to give you a breakdown of costs- in fact I think he's obligated to?

Angela, I'm having a lap done on Monday to get My right tube removed.

My Dr fees are $1300 up front (haven't claimed back from Medicare yet)
Private hossy fees are PHI excess of $250
Anaesthetist will be about $800 upfront... Again, I haven't actually paid this yet, so can't give you firm numbers.

I think you're biggest expense will be the private hospital fees with no PHI

As Glenny said, your FS should provide you with a full price list breakdown with Medicare rebates.

Wishing you the best of luck x

I had a lap in June 09 and I went private with no PHI too, mine was a long op with lots of endo removed and resulted in an overnight stay so in the end it was close to $4500. My biggest fee was the hospital - original day surgery charge was about $1100, then that went up by $1200 because I was in the theatre for longer than the allowed time (less than an hour I think), which was close to 2.5hours in the end, plus an additional $600 for the overnight hospital stay. You don't get anything back on that from medicare.
The actuall doctors fees I ended up paying about $600 or so if I remember rightly after medicare rebates and about the same for the anaethetist and assisting surgeon cost around $400 or so.

Remembering once you go over the threshold of $1500 out of pocket you get a tax offset on your tax return (or hubbys if you aren't working).

Thank you all for sharing. I am booked in. Eeeek! It's very costly: $1650 (Dr Fee - this is the gap so I cannot claim! $1750 (Theatre), $900 (anaethasist). Hopefully I'll get something back from Medicare...

Again, thank you so much!

Could you ask your DR to charge the same as medicare covers for his fee so that way you're not out of pocket for that amount? My OB/GYN (who only operates in a private hospital)did this earlier this year for me but for a D&C (and I've been under her for many many many years) and my anaesthetist cost $300 and I could claim some of that back through medicare..I think I was out of pocket about $170 for that part but the private hospital theatre fee was $1250 which I couldn't claim anything back.

I just had a Laparoscopy yesterday for removal of endo and my PHI covered it all except for the $250 excess..I was very silly last year and let my PHI lapse for a few months so had to serve the waiting periods again so that's why I wasn't covered earlier in the year.

Thanks mako...I might mention that to him, so that means I pay him & then get back from Medicare? Sorry, it gets a little confusing! I know I so wish I organized PHI a year ago, but just didn't think I'd need all this done. It pays to have it though!

Angela it means he just charges what Medicare cover ie he sends the bill to Medicare for the amount they cover so you don't have a gap to pay for your specialist. My step dad also asked his surgeon to do this for his prostate surgery 2 months ago cos it wasn't covered by his top level PHI (not sure why but anyway) as it was going to cost him about $2k out of pocket and being on a disability pension he just simply couldn't afford that much.
Good luck with it all. When is your op?

Thanks mako. I am going in Monday week. I have a pre op app with him this coming Thursday and will discuss this with him. Thanks again.