Aren’t we all concerned about how much a surgery will cost? As far as surgery and visiting a doctor are concerned, this is the first question that comes to mind. So why wouldn’t it pop up in our head when it comes to ingrown toenail surgery?
The ingrown toenail surgery cost is something that we all worry about. And yet few of us know the correct or even the ballpark number.
Toenail removal is not supposed to be a costly procedure. Some might even label it as cheap. But even cheap medical procedures can seem like a burden sometimes. And it’s when your finances are tight.
So let’s find out the cost of an ingrown toenail surgery right away!
Contents
What you Should Know Before Reading on
Around 7-7.5 million Americans suffer from the condition of ingrown toenails. This makes it a common occurrence. The toenail curves and enters the flesh surrounding the nail. And then it begins to grow inside.
This particular foot ailment is quite painful in nature. It can mess with your feet so much so that even walking feels like an unpleasant experience. The skin around the toenail becomes swollen, red, and inflamed. Symptoms of the condition include pain, skin overgrowth, fluid buildup, pus, and bleeding.
More often than not, the problem can be cured at home. If the toenail gets infected or the pain is too severe, the doctor might prescribe medication. Ingrown toenails are not life threatening, but complications can arise. This happens when blood circulation in the feet and legs gets affected by a disease.
Ingrown Toenail Surgery Cost – Uninsured Patients
You should know that the ingrown toenail surgery cost depends on the condition’s severity. This applies to all kinds of foot and other medical conditions. What happens when you don’t have insurance? There are chances that the prices may vary with different podiatrists. (Ingrown toenail prevention)
People who don’t have medical insurance have to shell out anything between $200 to $500. That’s the ingrown toenail surgery cost for uninsured patients. The expense includes the doctor’s consultation fees and even aftercare visits.
A few podiatrists offer a flat rate solely based on permanent or temporary removal of the toenail. While some quote the cost of the procedure and initial consultation separately. But in both the cases, the number does not surpass the $500 limit.
The crucial part of every ingrown toenail surgery is an infection. If your doctor finds one, he or she will have to carry out temporary toenail removal. Then antibiotics are prescribed to treat the infection.
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Soon the infection wears off. Following which your doctor proceeds with the permanent removal surgery. When something like this happens, it is likely that the cost should exceed $500. Because, in such a scenario, the doctor will have performed two separate procedures.
My advice to uninsured patients is to find out the actual initial consultation cost only. Because more often than not, not every ingrown toenail requires surgical removal. Sometimes all you need is to visit a podiatrist. And let him or her prescribe medication to treat the condition. Surgery is not always the only solution.
Best Ways to Stop Ingrown Toenails
Ingrown Toenail Surgery Cost – Insured Patients
The whole point of medical insurance is to pay less, much less in fact, for certain surgeries (benefits of health insurance). These include the ingrown toenail removal procedure. It’s only logical to assume that every provider has different deductible guidelines and copays. So make sure that you’re well aware of corrupt or deceitful medical practices.
I would advise you not to call podiatrists or doctors asking them if they would accept your insurance. Because all doctors have to do that. But some doctors end up charging you for something that your insurance doesn’t cover.
A few insurance policies don’t tend to include providers that are out-of-network. So it doesn’t matter if your doctor accepts the insurance. The policy clearly states that such a practice is not covered. And that is why you need to get in touch with the insurance provider. This helps you to find out what doctors are covered within your network.
But this is something that you shouldn’t worry about. Because insurance companies are doing their best to provide this kind of information online. Still, it’s always a better idea to be careful from the beginning. So ask your doctor to submit a written cost based on your insurance coverage.
The chances are that you’ll never come across any problems. But who knows what the future holds for us, right? There are a few unethical doctors who might cheat you for their benefit. So why not go that extra mile to protect your assets?
Total Anesthesia vs. Sleeping
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Remember how your dentist numbs your gums and teeth before performing the cavity procedure? Similarly, podiatrists give you a local anesthetic before removing the ingrown toenail. You may also opt for sleeping instead. But only if that seems like a desirable option based on your condition.
Naturally, choosing local anesthesia increases the ingrown toenail surgery cost. And most insurance providers don’t cover such a procedure.
Medical Reimbursement
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Some employers make medical reimbursement and saving plans available to employees. Such policies allow them to take a fixed amount of money from the paycheck every month. These savings are held by the employer for the employees’ medical expenses.
The biggest advantage of such a strategy is that you can keep and use these funds without having to pay income tax. Some employers also offer medical reimbursement plans that reduce the ingrown toenail surgery cost.
That’s About it!
The ingrown toenail surgery is one of those procedures that can get excruciating. Insured or uninsured, doesn’t matter. Most patients find the surgery to be agonizing while few don’t. The thing about any type of foot surgery is that they’re difficult to bear. And that’s because we spend most hours of the day on our feet, don’t we?
But there’s nothing I can say that’s going to prepare you for the surgery. All I can tell you is that the procedure takes several hours and that it costs anything between $200 to $500. This should provide you with all that you need to know about the surgery and its cost.
I hope the information was useful to you. And I hope you found the correct answer to your question.
What about you? Have you ever spoken to the doctor about the medical expenses of the ingrown toenail surgery? And do you have health insurance?
If not, then you should get that sorted out for future medical benefits.
Thank you for reading the article. Take care of those precious feet because your life depends on them.
Hope to see you again!
Sources:
1. http://ingrowntoenailsurgery.info/ingrown-toenail-surgery-cost/
2. https://howcoster.com/ingrown-toenail-surgery-cost/
3. http://health.costhelper.com/ingrown-toenails.html
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