UNDERSTANDING YOUR CHARGES

COLONOSCOPY & UPPER ENDOSCOPY
A number of various entities provide their services during a colonoscopy or upper endoscopy. Typically, the patient will receive a separate bill from the physician, hospital/surgery center, anesthesiologist, pathologist and the pathology lab. ColonoscopyAssist simplifies some of this complexity by offering one all-inclusive rate for the procedure. The discounted all-inclusive rate for the procedures varies based on the facility chosen and can be found on you forms. Colonoscopy is typically between $1075 to $1275 and Upper Endoscopy is typically between $820 and $1175.
Our rate includes:

1. Physician fees (including charges for removing polyps and taking biopsies)
2. Hospital/Surgery center fees
3. Sedation or Anesthesia Fees (see clarification below)
4. Pathology Lab Fees (fees to analyze any number of polyps or biopsy samples)

Our rate does not include :

1. Consultations (usually not required through our program)
2. Bowel Prep Medicine
3. Follow up treatment of any kind
4. Clinical lab tests
5. Cost of ambulance or emergency treatment in the even of an emergency

SEDATION / ANESTHESIA
To ensure the highest quality of care and comfort, conscious sedation or MAC Anesthesia will be provided to you during your procedure. Which method of sedation is used depends on the facility chosen and one of the two methods of sedation will be included in the cost of your procedure. You can ask a ColonoscopyAssist representative which method of sedation is included and if an option to get a different method of sedation would be possible.
Some facilities offer conscious sedation as standard and offer to provide MAC Anesthesia for an up charge. You can choose to add MAC Anesthesia but would be responsible for the up charge.

PATHOLOGY
If a polyp is removed or a biopsy is taken, the physician will have the specimens sent to a lab for further testing. The cost of taking the biopsy or removing the polyps as well as the lab fees associated with analyzing them are covered in our standard rate, there are no additional charges for pathology. There is no limit to the number of biopsies or specimens sent.

CLINICAL LAB TESTS
Clinical lab tests are non pathology lab tests such as blood work or stool tests ordered in the diagnosis of ongoing symptoms. These tests are not considered as part of a colonoscopy and so are not covered by ColonoscopyAssist. An example of a test that would not be covered is a C Diff test ordered for patients with long term diahrea. It is a stool test that physicians order to rule out a possible infection. This test is not part of a colonoscopy or upper endoscopy procedure and would not be covered.

BOWEL PREP
A bowel prep will need to be performed the evening before your colonoscopy. The cost of the prep medicine is not included in the cost for a colonoscopy. You will need to purchase the Prep medicine prescribed by your physician at your local pharmacy. The cost of a prep will vary based on the medicine the physician prescribes and where you purchase it. Most preps cost approximately $30.

CONSULTATIONS
You are being enrolled in a direct colonoscopy. This means that no formal consultation is required. A physician will briefly talk to you before and after the procedure and this is included in our all-inclusive rate. After reviewing your medical history, the physician may decide that a consult is necessary to safely perform the procedure. In this case you will be notified. The cost of a consult is not included in the cost of your colonoscopy or upper endoscopy.

EGD / UPPER GI ENDOSCOPY
An EGD or an Upper GI endoscopy can also be scheduled through the ColonoscopyAssist program. Scheduling both a colonoscopy and an upper endoscopy procedure at the same time allows you to pay only one facility and sedation cost resulting in a significant cost savings compared to performing both procedures separately. The discounted cost of adding an EGD to your already scheduled colonoscopy is $820 while the cost of an Upper Endoscopy by itself varies from $975 - $1175.

Just like our colonoscopy, this rate for EGD is truly all-inclusive and includes unlimited pathology

Note: An EGD is a completely different procedure than a colonoscopy and is not performed for screening purposes. It should only be performed if your physician has recommended this procedure to diagnose certain symptoms.

 

PAYMENTS TERMS

MasterCard, Visa, Check and Money Order are the only accepted methods of payment. Payments must be made to ColonoscopyAssist and cannot be made at the facility on the day of the procedure.
Payments are due 7 days prior to your appointment. If your appointment is scheduled within 7 days, then payment is due the following day at 9am. If paying via Check or Money Order, you must ensure that the check arrives at least 7 days prior to the scheduled appointment date.
Failure to make a payment on time may result in automatic rescheduling of your appointment.
Your payment to ColonoscopyAssist is an exclusive payment for your procedure. No other party should bill you for services provided. If you receive a bill in error or are asked for payment, please inform ColonoscopyAssist immediately.

CANCELLATION POLICY

1. You may cancel your scheduled appointment up to 12pm (CST) 2 business days before your appointment for a full refund.
2. For cancellations within 2 business days of the appointment, ColonoscopyAssist will pass through any cancellation fees from the providers office to the patient. Most providers are understanding in the event of a cancellation due to a genuine emergency but we do not make any guarantees. Typically offices charge around $100 for such cancellations. These charges are actually quite fair as you should be starting your colonoscopy prep 2 days prior to the appointment and so should already know if you will be keeping your appointment or not.
3. If your appointment is not cancelled or rescheduled and you do not show for your appointment, a no show charge of $250 will be charged and the remaining amount automatically refunded. No shows severely hurt the programs relationships with providers. Please avoid them at all cost.

REFUND POLICY

1. If you choose to cancel your appointment, you will receive a refund based on our cancellation policy above.
2. If you have an interrupted colonoscopy, you will be given a 20% refund. The repeat colonoscopy will need to be paid in full.
3. Your payment is non-refundable once the appointment is completed and can not be refunded for any reason.

PREPAY POLICY

1. This is strictly a pre-pay program. All financial obligations should be completed prior to the day of the procedure
2. There should be no surprise upcharges on the day of the procedure or afterwards.
3. It is the responsibility of the patient to ensure all payments for services obtained are paid for prior to the date of service.
4. Payment reminders from ColonoscopyAssist are a courtesy. It is your responsibility to ensure all payments are made 7 days prior to your appointment.
5. It may be possible for you to go through with a colonoscopy or EGD without making a payment. For example, your check may bounce or a credit card transaction may be disputed after the procedure. Doing so will be considered abuse of the program. Your discounted rate for services are only applicable if all services are in fact pre-paid. You will be responsible for a non-discounted rate of $3000 per procedure or consult for going through with an appointment without pre-paying. The discounted rate will no longer be honored. This policy applies whether or not ColonoscopyAssist reminded you for payments. No exceptions to this policy.