Colonoscopy Preparation

The costs incurred for the colonoscopy procedure differs from country to country. If the patient is from the United States, a simple colonoscopy procedure, where the colon and rectum are checked for polyps or other growths, may cost around 1000-2000 dollars.

This cost will still depend on which state the patient chooses to do his / her colonoscopy procedure. Other determining factors for colonoscopy costs are the type of colonoscopy procedure that the patient will be undergoing and if he / she will be required to stay overnight or longer in the hospital.

Insurance Coverage

The following pointers can be kept in mind regarding insurance coverage for the colonoscopy procedure:

• If the patient has a health insurance, he / she should immediately check with the insurance company and find out if they cover colonoscopy costs. If they do, then the patient needs to enquire about how much they will be willing to shoulder from the total costs of the procedure.
• The patient should also discuss the amount he / she will need to pay. This amount is considered as the patient’s co-pay. In some cases, insurance companies do not cover virtual colonoscopy. The patient should therefore, check with the insurance company if they cover this type of colonoscopy and then decide if he / she needs to choose a less invasive procedure.
• If the insurance does cover colonoscopy, the patient should check if this includes hospital admission, should the patient be required to stay in the hospital overnight. Usually however, simple colonoscopy procedures do not require patients to be admitted in the hospital.
• As a general rule, colonoscopy procedures for people aged 50 years old and over, are covered by health insurance companies.

How to Reduce the Cost of Colonoscopy

The following steps can be taken to try and reduce the costs of the colonoscopy procedure:

• Prior to undergoing colonoscopy, the patient should check with the health insurance the hospitals or clinics are affiliated with in order to ensure that he / she gets the benefits of the coverage.
• On the other hand, if the patient does not have insurance, he / she should check with the local health department for recommendations on hospitals or clinics that offer lower costs.
• The patient can also check if the  local health department can provide him / her with some form of financial assistance for this procedure. The doctor might be able to help the patient by recommending more affordable medical facilities that provide colon screening.

How Often Can a Patient Undergo This Procedure?

If the individual does not have any symptoms related to colon problems, colonoscopy procedures are recommended for people who are aged fifty and above. The procedure should ideally be done at least once in every few years with a ten-year interval at the most.

However, if the doctor has found polyps or other abnormalities within the patient’s colon, he / she may need to undergo another colonoscopy procedure a few months after the first screening when the polyps were found.

After the patient’s polyps have been removed, depending on the doctor’s advice, the patient may need to undergo a colonoscopy procedure to ensure that future colon problems can be avoided.