Texas Back Institute

[Dave]

Good news.

[Justin]

Good news.

+ 1

[Cindylou]

Here, here!! I will put in a plug for Mayo too, living up here in Minnesota. But you already know of it's reputation. My best to you.

[tigerpaw75]

Has anyone had problems with TBI's "customer service"? My wife is a two level ADR candidate which as everyone knows is not covered by insurance. We saw Dr. Blumenthal in Feb and he suggested we could do a hybrid ADR/Fusion with the ADR at L4-L5. That way the insurance would pay for the fusion, the surgery, the hospital, etc....he thought that it would be about $20K out of pocket for the ADR device and his fees for inserting it.

So then we call multiple times in the weeks immediately after trying to get an official estimate of the cost. Admins tell my wife - "most people just do the surgery and then figure out the cost later". We didn't want to do that...we wanted to basically know what we needed to pay within a thousand or two. We got passed around to multiple people who said that they didn't know or it wasn't their job - and every time we called back we had to repeat the same information again. Finally, one month later we talked to someone who appearently was able to run the insurance and they came back with - not the 20K that Blumenthal had mentioned verbally - but with $30K. Remember this is for a single level with insurance paying for the fusion.

Now we don't know what to do - we are really disappointed and frustrated with the apparent disorganization of TBI's admin folks, and are actually considering going overseas for the procedure now....what have been other people's experience with TBI's admin staff - did we do something wrong by asking for how much we would be responsible for?

Thanks,

Tom

[Carson]

Congrats WPKat!

One blessing since my accident has been my dealings and communication with TBI to this point and hoping you have the same experience. I'm very thankful technology is moving forward and there's seemingly increasingly less need to leave the country for care. Best of luck, WPKat and let us know how it goes!

[WPKat]

Here, here!! I will put in a plug for Mayo too, living up here in Minnesota. But you already know of it's reputation. My best to you.

How cool! I was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. My father's dream was to live in the last frontier and we left for Alaska when I was nine, but I still have about a thousand relatives living in Minnesota - just a small exaggeration and may actually be true if you count Aunts, Uncles, cousins, second cousins, third cousins, etc.

[WPKat]

Has anyone had problems with TBI's "customer service"? My wife is a two level ADR candidate which as everyone knows is not covered by insurance. We saw Dr. Blumenthal in Feb and he suggested we could do a hybrid ADR/Fusion with the ADR at L4-L5. That way the insurance would pay for the fusion, the surgery, the hospital, etc....he thought that it would be about $20K out of pocket for the ADR device and his fees for inserting it.

So then we call multiple times in the weeks immediately after trying to get an official estimate of the cost. Admins tell my wife - "most people just do the surgery and then figure out the cost later". We didn't want to do that...we wanted to basically know what we needed to pay within a thousand or two. We got passed around to multiple people who said that they didn't know or it wasn't their job - and every time we called back we had to repeat the same information again. Finally, one month later we talked to someone who appearently was able to run the insurance and they came back with - not the 20K that Blumenthal had mentioned verbally - but with $30K. Remember this is for a single level with insurance paying for the fusion.

Now we don't know what to do - we are really disappointed and frustrated with the apparent disorganization of TBI's admin folks, and are actually considering going overseas for the procedure now....what have been other people's experience with TBI's admin staff - did we do something wrong by asking for how much we would be responsible for?

Thanks,

Tom

Tom,

I hate to say it, but I doubt you would get an accurate estimate from any U.S. hospital or surgical center. I have never seen one yet that even tries to give you an estimate. I have always received a bill, after the fact, from anyone and everyone that takes care of, looks at or touches me or my medical information - even if I never laid eyes on them.

I'm with you and feel we should have the right to know how much any medical procedure will cost us out-of-pocket. But for whatever reason, medical cost estimates are not standard practice in the U.S. You would think they would want to let us know what is not covered by insurance since they expect us to pay the bill afterwards.

I'm not surprised that it would cost $30 thousand either, our medical costs are also pretty steep.

K

[Gilbert P]

Hi All

I thank you for the information about the TBI .

I am in the process to go their soon Having another MRI next week this will be my twenty first, not all spine related.

All The Best to all

Gil

[Cindylou]

What are you having done at TBI Gil, if you don't mind my asking?

[Gilbert P]

Hi CL

I am trying to get to the bottom of my spine issues and hoping for some better treatment,also seeing Doctors in MN.
We live in a small community and only two spine surgens one wants to do a three level fusion and the other says it just inflammation ?
Thanks
Gil