MDSave Collaborates with DDSI of Oklahoma to Offer Bundled Online Pricing for Colonoscopy Services

MDSave and Digestive Disease Specialists, Inc. (DDSI) have announced the formation of a partnership that offers patients discounted bundled pricing for colonoscopies, which can be directly purchased and scheduled through MDSave.com.

In a release, the companies said that for the first time ever, patients will be given the total costs upfront for a colonoscopy and can purchase the procedure online - at rates up to 66 percent less than those offered to patients without insurance or with high- deductible plans. Patients can also save on other digestive system services and procedures.

According to the companies, that bundled pricing is all- inclusive pricing that incorporates all costs associated with a procedure into a single lump sum. Typically, patients of a hospital or surgery center receive multiple bills for charges like facility fees, physician fees, lab fees and anesthesia fees, which can be confusing and drive up costs. Instead, with bundled pricing, patients receive all applicable charges listed together in one amount on one bill.

The MDSave and DDSI partnership encompasses DDSI's two ambulatory endoscopy centers and six other locations in Oklahoma City, Yukon, Northwest Oklahoma City, Edmond and Midwest City. In addition to colonoscopies, new patient office visits, endoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies and the center's new hemorrhoid banding procedure are also offered through MDSave's website.

"The Oklahomans we serve are now the first in the nation to receive online and upfront bundled pricing for colonoscopies at our gastrointestinal centers," said Carl A. Raczkowski, M.D., medical director of DDSI's North Ambulatory Center. "It can often be difficult for patients to get the full cost of medical procedures until the bill arrives in the mail. That's an unpleasant surprise patients just shouldn't have to go through. Today we streamline the process and help our patients better budget for their medical needs and save money."

For example, Oklahomans in need of a colonoscopy would on average pay $3,675 if they are uninsured or $2,183 if they have a high deductible insurance plan. If booked through MDSave, the procedure would cost $1,225, a savings of up to 66 percent. A recent New York Times report echoes MDSave's research, which indicates that colonoscopies are one of the most commonly overcharged procedures nationwide, with pricing ranging up to $7,563.56 or higher.

Other procedures are offered at a discount as well. An uninsured patient or one with a high deductible plan in need of an endoscopy would pay on average $1,821. The MDSave cost for the same procedure is $1,543, providing the patient a savings of 15 percent. The same patient would save 16 percent on a new patient office visit, which costs $192 with MDSave compared to $229 when booked without the service.

"With this partnership, MDSave is continuing to break new ground in our effort to make healthcare more affordable and accessible to people everywhere," said MDSave co-founder and CEO Paul Ketchel. "DDSI provides high quality care to the community, and we're proud to partner with such a visionary and forward-thinking organization. Right now, there's no doubt that Oklahoma is leading the nation when it comes to price transparency in healthcare."

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