How much does an orchiectomy cost?

[Lucca]

I wouldn't dedicate an entire thread to such a simple question, except I can't seem to find an answer anywhere for some reason. So, how much does it usually cost? All I can track down is that it's cheaper than GCS.

[Dena]

I have seen prices on this site ranging from around $2,500 if it's preformed in the doctor office under a local to $7,000 in a hospital under general. From what I understand, a local isn't entirely pain free and some doctors refuse to preform the surgery with a local. If you want a price that's closer, you will need to contact the doctor because prices will vary from doctor to doctor.

[Devlyn]

My orchi topic covers every detail of the process. Pictures start on page 4 or 5.

https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,224375.0.html

Here are my numbers from that thread.

Statements and bills keep rolling in. Today the payment statement from insurance indicates that Dr Oates charges are $2,530.00 and I am going to pay $279.43.

So, by my estimate it's

$310 for two psych letters  (I paid $120)
$75 for surgical consultation  (I paid $75)
$2,530 for the orchiectomy (I paid $279.43)
$1,120 for anesthesia  (I paid $177.16)
$3,044 for the operating room  (I paid $1787.90)

$7,079 total.  (I paid $2439.49)

Somewhere in there they hid the charge for those cookies! 

Hugs, Devlyn

[josie76]

I found a urologist in St Louis who would do the bilateral orchiectomy for a total of around $3500 for cash out of pocket. She used a local surgical center and general anesthesia.

I ended up getting it done by another urologist and with insurance coverage. This urologist did not need a letter because I had several years history of testicular pain. I had a sonogram done in 2017 and one back in 2013. Everything was normal in both although in the 2017 sonogram my testes had shrunk by a cm length and girth compared to the 2013 one. I got 100% coverage with two insurances. First I pay for a COBRA BCBS policy that would exclude any trans related billing but not the pain related ones. Second I'm on the state Medicaid which made up my $1500 out of pocket and coinsurance fees. Total paid to the doctor and the surgical center by both insurances was right near $20,000.

That might illustrate the difference between insurance billing and cash billing.

[Lucca]

So, you got it for no cost to you, but it cost $20,000 to your insurance, for something that only needs to cost $3,500? That's pretty whack.

Thanks for all the replies!