How much does an ultrasound cost? - Page 2

[Mulvah]

Originally Posted by Norabella 

My 8wk u/s (3 m/c prior to this pg) was $620, insurance adjusted that amount to $527, which I paid OOP because we hadn't met our deductible. And, my CPM is not able to order an u/s, I had to have 1 appt with the CNM at the OB practice in order to get the u/s ordered.

People with high(er) deductibles or people who are going to get an ultrasound close to the end of the year and haven't met their deductible for the year, should probably call the office and find out the insurance vs. cash rate.  There is a huge difference and you could save yourself a lot of money.

[BubbleMa]

Our midwife doesn't do u/s, so we went to a freestanding u/s place.  We paid $50 for the basic package.  Which included a 5-10 min. u/s.  She used both 2D and 3D.  She listened to the heartbeat and took basic measurements.  If any issues had been detected we would have gotten a free consultation with the Dr.

I don't know if you have a place like this in your area, but it would definitely be worth looking into!

[CookAMH]

Originally Posted by Mulvah 

First, check with your insurance to see if they will cover it.  If they will not or if you will have to meet a high deductible, call around.  I live in a very high COL area and the cash/self-pay discount price for ultrasounds (20-week) spanned a very huge difference from under $200 to over $1000, all from reputable imaging centers (not centers that only determine the gender).  It's pretty disgusting, if you ask me.

This - I should have called around and regret it. Got an $800 bill. Next time, I'm not going to the hospital the mw referred me to but I'll go to an imaging center and pay cash up front. Since I had insurance (high deductible...I paid everything), they wouldn't allow me to pay up front or shorten the scan.  I should have walked out and found a different place. Insurance was billed for over $1200 (was reg scan and then a transvag at 20 weeks). 

[BlessedOne]

We always use an ultrasound studio and the lowest is about 75 dollars (as of 3 years ago...so it may have went up a bit)....there are more expensive packs were you can actually get really cool photos. We opt for the cheapest, just because the whole purpose for us to get one is to check baby position as I do unassisted homebirths. We do get a few black and white prints included in that cost. You can also hear the heart beat and depending on the person doing it sometimes they will let you get a quick look at the more complex dementions even if you didn't pay for it. =) The particular place I go to, also says that they send the pic of the spine to a dr to look at and if there are any problems, they will let you know. I have never heard back on any of my kids...so I don't know if they actually do it or not...or if it is just that my kids' spines are fine.
Hope this helps! =)

P.S. Also ultrasound studios tend to more cozy than hospitals and allow the whole family in =)