# Cost of appendectomy: $21K **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637 "2009-02-05T23:14:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/1 "2009-02-05T23:14:35Z")
I don’t have to pay that, thank Og. My portion is about 2K, which luckily we have socked away in a tax free health care spending account, so that is nice. But I’m surprised at that total bill amount! And that’s just the hospital. There’s also a few hundred dollars here and there for the doctor, radiologist, anesthesiologist, pathology, and so forth. It really makes me feel for people without insurance. How do you recover from that? It’s no one’s fault if their appendix goes nasty, and it has to be taken care of right away. So what, you then owe as much as you would on a new car, and spend the next ten years trying to pay it off? Or declare bankruptcy I suppose. That just isn’t right. It also makes me think it’s time for another donation to Medecins Sans Frontieres. To be the beneficiary of such lavish health care reminds me I ought to help people who are barely surviving day to day. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/2 "2009-02-05T23:33:43Z")
Welcome to America. I sent the government an e-mail complaining about this very topic. They sent me a form letter saying, “We are aware of the issue and currently trying to resolve it.” ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/3 "2009-02-05T23:57:04Z")
Holy moly, 2000 dollars? Even with insurance that is ridiculous! Just another example of why the US’ health care system is a joke. Everytime I am sick, I hug and kiss my national health insurance card. I’ve never had a visit to the hospital cost more than the equivalent of 10-15 dollars, and, were I to need surgery, there are few surgeries I have seen that cost more than 500 dollars, which is about the price for an appendectomy. Most of the actual cost (which comes to about 1000 dollars with the standard national health care), comes from the fact that in Japan they usually keep you in the hospital for at least a week following an appendectomy. The actual uninsured cost of an appendectomy is only a little over 4000 dollars (which includes the cost of 6-8 days in a hospital). Also, because of the high cost of the operation, many people are able to get some of that 1000 dollars refunded later with the correct paperwork. It confuses the hell out of me that the procedure would cost over 5 times as much in the US even though they only keep you under observation for half the time or less. No reason to charge that much at all except to fleece the patient. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Woodhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@Miss\_Woodhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Woodhouse)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2009, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/4 "2009-02-05T23:58:39Z")
You’re lucky. My husband’s appendectomy cost closer to 26,000 after all the bills came in. I told him it was just like having a baby, only what got cut out of his body wasn’t cute and cuddly and nice to bring home. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/5 "2009-02-06T00:07:09Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > It also makes me think it’s time for another donation to Medecins Sans Frontieres. To be the beneficiary of such lavish health care reminds me I ought to help people who are barely surviving day to day. Wait, you suddenly realize what a criminal outrage the US health care system is and your solution is to send money overseas? How about you take that donation and send it to one of the many Health Care advocacy groups that support UHC. I think that many families bankrupted every day in this country, not to mention maimed and killed because they can’t seek care, would appreciate it and it’s improve our nations security more than tossing money into the morass that is Africa. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/6 "2009-02-06T00:12:11Z")
> [@Miss\_Woodhouse](#): > > You’re lucky. My husband’s appendectomy cost closer to 26,000 after all the bills came in. I told him it was just like having a baby, only what got cut out of his body wasn’t cute and cuddly and nice to bring home. Did you try gluing on googly eyes and pipe cleaner hair? ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/7 "2009-02-06T00:13:35Z")
> [@Omniscient](#): > > Wait, you suddenly realize what a criminal outrage the US health care system is and your solution is to send money overseas? How about you take that donation and send it to one of the many Health Care advocacy groups that support UHC. I think that many families bankrupted every day in this country, not to mention maimed and killed because they can’t seek care, would appreciate it and it’s improve our nations security more than tossing money into the morass that is Africa. > > :dubious: Well, now that you mention it, I’ll probably do both. If it makes you feel better, I also vote democratic, in part due to this issue. I had both my babies at a freestanding birth center, where it was only a few thousand dollars total, and I’ve never had anything really serious go wrong until this, so this whole hospital thing is completely new to me. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/8 "2009-02-06T00:19:01Z")
> [@Miss\_Woodhouse](#): > > You’re lucky. My husband’s appendectomy cost closer to 26,000 after all the bills came in. I told him it was just like having a baby, only what got cut out of his body wasn’t cute and cuddly and nice to bring home. On the other hand, your diseased appendix never cries and rarely poops. So really it’s more like an even trade. ---
**Author:** ![Frazzled](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frazzled/32/3368_2.png) [@Frazzled](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frazzled)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/9 "2009-02-06T00:40:25Z")
I once broke my leg while skydiving and thanks to those damned morals I admitted it to the hospital. My insurance declined to pay any of the bill because of how I broke my leg leaving me stuck with a $15,000 bill (this was a few years ago so I’m sure the cost would be much higher now). The hospital refused to negotiate with me on any of the costs (which I felt was riduclously high thanks to elevated prices such as $10.00 per bandaid!). Yes, over the course of the next year or so I paid every penny owed. Our health care and legal systems (legal profession mentioned because I think they are partly responsible for the outrageous health care costs) disgust me. Without protection from insurance (a whole 'nother rant) you can easily be ruined. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/10 "2009-02-06T00:46:35Z")
Holy crap (again!). A teacher from my alma mater, while visiting for a month here, broke his arm when he tripped on some temple steps. He fretted because he obviously had no insurance that was worth a damn here and had no idea how he would pay the hospital bill. Turns out it only cost him a few hundred dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/11 "2009-02-06T02:01:08Z")
Our daughter had life-saving heart surgery during summer, and the total bill was almost $100,000. Worth it! ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/12 "2009-02-06T02:06:39Z")
Oh yes, I don’t dispute that this was worth it, in that respect. I would have died without this surgery. Therefore, we would have sold everything we own if necessary. But it shouldn’t be necessary. I’m giggling at the image of a non-crying, non-pooping (but perhaps suppurating, which is arguably worse), googly-eyed, pipe-cleaner-tressed appendix baby. Actually, don’t mention the googly eyes and pipe cleaners to my daughter - she already took my inspirometer (from the hospital) in for show and tell, and I don’t want to give her ideas. ---
**Author:** ![bobkitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c67d28/32.png) [@bobkitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobkitty)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/13 "2009-02-06T02:32:53Z")
Mr. Kitty was in the hospital for 38 days over the summer; eight on a vent in ICU, the rest in an isolated room on the respiratory floor. Total cost to us, after insurance: $300,000. We just went for our official bankruptcy hearing yesterday (the one where the creditors get to show up and ask questions. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Euryphaessa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Euryphaessa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euryphaessa)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/14 "2009-02-06T03:26:18Z")
Holy crap! I just looked up what my cholecystectomy would cost in the US: over 70 grand! I didn’t realize just how expensive surgery is outside of Canada (or rather, how much patients have to pay out of pocket). It’s pretty outrageous when families are going bankrupt for lifesaving medical care. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/15 "2009-02-06T03:36:21Z")
I was hit on my bicycle several years ago. Helicopter, trauma center, ICU, ventilator, lots o’blood, several surgeries, two months in hospital. Over 1,000,000 Out of pocket-appx. 4,000 ---
**Author:** ![Spacegirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Spacegirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spacegirl)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/16 "2009-02-06T03:37:49Z")
Man, at that rate, if my appendix becomes inflamed, I’m going take it out myself. **Bobkitty** , that absolutely sucks! ---
**Author:** ![Jenaroph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Jenaroph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jenaroph)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/17 "2009-02-06T05:33:07Z")
> [@Queen of Town](#): > > Holy crap! I just looked up what my cholecystectomy would cost in the US: over 70 grand! I didn’t realize just how expensive surgery is outside of Canada (or rather, how much patients have to pay out of pocket). It’s pretty outrageous when families are going bankrupt for lifesaving medical care. ☹ And yet if you ask certain people, if you go bankrupt because of medical costs, it’s your fault for making bad decisions like not having a high enough paying job, or good enough insurance, or not socking away enough money in case of such an emergency. ---
**Author:** ![seodoa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@seodoa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seodoa)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/18 "2009-02-06T06:22:50Z")
> [@Jenaroph](#): > > And yet if you ask certain people, if you go bankrupt because of medical costs, it’s your fault for making bad decisions like not having a high enough paying job, or good enough insurance, or not socking away enough money in case of such an emergency. I hate those arguments so much. “Sorry, sweety, mommy and daddy forgot to save _$100,000_ for the ‘Baby Needs Cardiac Surgery Fund’” :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Jaglavak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jaglavak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaglavak)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/19 "2009-02-06T06:40:17Z")
That’s about right. One third of your bill went toward your care. The other two thirds helped pay for all the poor folks the hospital is required to treat in the emergency room. In America, something like [this](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/04/injured-man-dies-in-japan_n_163851.html)would never be allowed. This has been tested to the highest court and hospitals are required to provide life saving care as needed regardless of the ability to pay. I make no judgement about which is the better system. As far as the ridiculously high bill, a lot of it depends on the hospital. A few years ago my girlfriend had to have abdominal surgery. We were both destitute at the time and the bill came to over $10K. What can you do? She started paying it off at $20 to $40 a month, whatever she could afford to send in. After a couple of years the hospital called up and negotiated the balance down to about 1/5 of the original bill. If they hadn’t done that, she would have got it paid off in about 30 years. They can’t get blood out of a turnip. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2009, 8:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637/20 "2009-02-06T08:53:40Z")
> [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](#): > > It really makes me feel for people without insurance. How do you recover from that? It’s no one’s fault if their appendix goes nasty, and it has to be taken care of right away. So what, you then owe as much as you would on a new car, and spend the next ten years trying to pay it off? Or declare bankruptcy I suppose. That just isn’t right. Yup. This is the reason I sold most my possessions and bought a one-way ticket out of the USA seven years ago. I’d like to live in my own country again, but the medical costs and risks are too high for those like me that can’t get insurance. I just had surgery in the Czech Republic that ran about $350. In the US it would have been 5-7 thousand not including all the other fees that go along with the surgery. America is currently broken. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cost-of-appendectomy-21k/484637.md?page=2)