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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 10 of 10. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by blueberry1 on January 19, 2007, at 8:38:47
Besides amnesia risk, cognitive dysfunction risk, and unknown potential brain damage risk, what is another price of electroshock therapy?
This is my bill for 12 shocks.
Medications $4136.63
Medical Supplies $1208.00
Sterile Supplies $ 1.32
Anesthesia $3540.00
ECT $8936.00
Physician $3000.00Total $ Yikes
That's about the cost of a brand new car.
And you thought your medication was expensive at $3 to $10 a pill.
For that kind of cost, it is hard to imagine it comes with a 50/50 chance of working (according to the doc who did it).
No wonder insurance premiums are so high. I do not understand why the costs are so high. Do the medications have gold dust in them or what?
Posted by stargazer on January 19, 2007, at 9:42:09
In reply to The Price of ECT, posted by blueberry1 on January 19, 2007, at 8:38:47
Just my opinion but I'm sure not too many people who have to pay for it, have the the treatment. Cost itself is prohibitive even if we thought it might work. Which is so unfair. The insured get treatment and the uninsured don't. No one can affort those costs so they opt out.
But it could be a blessing in disguise since the procedure is so uncertain, with both risks and side effects. I thought of having it years ago but today even having insurance, I would be too afraid to try it. And I probably would have it recommended if I wanted it since I have exhausted all my options...Stargazer
Posted by ronaldo on January 19, 2007, at 9:58:26
In reply to The Price of ECT, posted by blueberry1 on January 19, 2007, at 8:38:47
Don't switch your insurance plan - they might deny you mental health cover.
Posted by Phillipa on January 19, 2007, at 10:25:18
In reply to Re: The Price of ECT, posted by ronaldo on January 19, 2007, at 9:58:26
You will be denied medical insurance with any preexisting condition unless you Cobra in for that l8 months after yours is over. Even then it's iffy. Blueberry that is quite a bill. Love Phillipa
Posted by med_empowered on January 19, 2007, at 12:22:22
In reply to Re: The Price of ECT » ronaldo, posted by Phillipa on January 19, 2007, at 10:25:18
wow. I remember reading that a pretty large percentage of shock patients are older women--women who are 65+. Why? Apparently 2/3 of shock patients are women anyway, which makes sense--women are overrepresented in mental hospitals and private practice psychiatric services. Also, at 65 the government will take care of it under MediCare. Shock treatment is apparently something some shrinks do on the side to earn easy extra $$$ for, essentially, doing nothing, except zapping patients they're supposed to care for. Its a pretty sick, actually.
Posted by stargazer on January 19, 2007, at 14:12:23
In reply to Re: The Price of ECT, posted by med_empowered on January 19, 2007, at 12:22:22
Medicare will pay for it is you're over 65 or disabled and there's no limit on how many times you can have it, many get shocked just for "maintenance" too. Regular insurance has limits on the number of treatments you can have. I haven't looked at my current policy but years ago I was limited to 12 treatments, which is at the lower end of how many you will actually need.
That may pay a factor in why age is high. Too many young people do not have insurance and could never pay for it. Also many elderly having ECT are demented and cognitively are not in a position to sign for consent. But they are allowed to anyway.
I wonder how much abuse of the procedure exists because most people having it are not in a position to make a good decisions, unlike our highly informed fellow PB'ers. Most that have it done are desparate for a treatment that they have been told will work. And they are told that.SG
Posted by stargazer on January 19, 2007, at 14:12:33
In reply to Re: The Price of ECT, posted by med_empowered on January 19, 2007, at 12:22:22
Medicare will pay for it is you're over 65 or disabled and there's no limit on how many times you can have it, many get shocked just for "maintenance" too. Regular insurance has limits on the number of treatments you can have. I haven't looked at my current policy but years ago I was limited to 12 treatments, which is at the lower end of how many you will actually need.
That may pay a factor in why age is high. Too many young people do not have insurance and could never pay for it. Also many elderly having ECT are demented and cognitively are not in a position to sign for consent. But they are allowed to anyway.
I wonder how much abuse of the procedure exists because most people having it are not in a position to make a good decisions, unlike our highly informed fellow PB'ers. Most that have it done are desparate for a treatment that they have been told will work. And they are told that.SG
Posted by med_empowered on January 19, 2007, at 14:15:57
In reply to Re: The Price of ECT, posted by stargazer on January 19, 2007, at 14:12:33
Another point worth making: the estimated death rate and % of people impaired by the treatment (I mean the estimates put forth by the APA) are pretty much made up. Texas is the only state in the US that tracks ECT deaths and their numbers would put the death rate much, much higher than the APA states. Also, I poster earlier put a link to a story about an ECT researcher (finally) admitting that ECT can do damage to the brain.
Posted by chiron on January 19, 2007, at 20:33:02
In reply to ECT problems, posted by med_empowered on January 19, 2007, at 14:15:57
Just as a point of interest, I use to be an insurance underwriter, and the top claimants were never due to mental illness - and certainly not ECT. Drugs represent about 20% of the overall medical expense (which is of course a lot higher than it use to be).
But I do agree that it is awfully expensive, especially when part of it goes to your medical out-of-pocket and part of it goes to your mental-health out-of-pocket. Those insurance bastards :)
And again, my opinion of ECT is positive. I am still freakin smart :) Kitty Dukakis also has positive things to say in her new book "Shocked."
Posted by linkadge on January 21, 2007, at 10:10:19
In reply to Re: ECT problems, posted by chiron on January 19, 2007, at 20:33:02
So if the ECT doesn't provide enough shock, perhaps the bill will.
Linkadge
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