My son broke three bones in his foot when he jumped down some stairs. When we began this medical journey, we knew we needed to do all we could to cut costs while getting him the help he needed.We were told he needed a CT scan because one of the bones had been broken right by the growth plate and near the joint in his toe. We were told it was going to cost $1200-$1500 to have the scan done in the city where our doctor's office was. My husband called a couple of the hospitals in nearby towns. One hospital quoted us $980 and the other hospital quoted us $750. We had the CT scan done for $750 at a hospital that was newly remodelled and had state of the art equipment. The CT scan was top quality. The doctor said it even had additional views that the $1200-$1500 scan typically doesn't have.
The next area we were able to save was in buying our own walking boot. After being in a normal cast for a month, we were told my son needed to wear a walking boot for a month. We talked with the doctor and asked about bringing our own boot. That was fine with her. So I called the gal who was in charge of all the medical equipment at the doctor's office to find out what to look for. She was very kind and gave me pointers on what to look for and also a quote on what a boot would cost if we got it from them. She said it was $160, but if we paid directly instead of running it through our insurance, we could get a 35% discount. As you can see from the picture, the boots isn't that special, so it seemed quite expensive to me. So, I looked online. I found I could buy a new one for $80-$100. Then, I posted a wanted ad on www.craigslist.org hoping to buy a used one. A gal contacted me and she had one but it was a larger size than my son needed. However, we still got that boot from her and he wore it over his normal cast when he was out in the snow. She told me she had gotten it second hand from a thrift store. That was not a place I had thought to look. That evening I sent a message to a friend who works at a local thrift store. I asked her if they got medical equipment in and explained what I was looking for. She said they got medical equipment in all the time because people often use it for a very short time and then have no need for it. I went to the thrift store she works at and they had a boot that fit my son perfectly. It didn't even look like it had been used. It had the instruction manual inside and an extra cushion with it. It cost $1! I was amazed and incredibly blessed!
When it comes to medical issues, the costs can be outrageous. You can take the easy road and just do whatever the doctor or the office suggests or you can be pro-active and see if you can't reduce those costs a bit. I would never want to cut costs if it meant inferior care. In our case, we were able to save a significant amount of money on the CT scan and they did a great job. And as for the boot, every time I see it, it makes me smile...because I love a bargain!
And, if anyone needs a short walking boot(size medium), I have one to give away. And in another two weeks, I'll have a tall walking boot (size small)...that is now in used shape.
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