Would you prefer moderate or full sedation during a colonoscopy? Many gastroenterologists and endoscopy nurses would prefer to be put under, but they don’t necessarily want to pay for it, a new survey shows.
Using propofol, which puts a patient into deep sedation and also was linked to Michael Jackon’s death, can add $600 to $2,000 to screening colonoscopies, which are recommended for patients age 50 and older, an
article published in the
Chicago Tribune notes.
Responses to a three-question survey by 451 gastroenterologists and 460 nurses revealed that most would prefer deep sedation to avoid feeling anything and speed recovery. But “most were unwilling to pay more than $200 for it,” the article states – far less than what is charged to patients.
Insurers often don’t cover the whole cost of propofol administration, so patients get stuck with the bill, the article states.