How Much Does A Broken Bone Cost Without Insurance?

Treatment for a broken bone can be expensive, ranging from a few hundred dollars to more than $10,000 in some situations. A fractured bone’s price normally includes the cost of main treatment, a facility fee, anesthesia (if needed), x-rays, and any rehabilitation services you may require.

How much is a broken leg in America?

• Surgical surgery for a fractured leg might cost anywhere from $17,000 to $35,000 or more if you don’t have health insurance. Treatment of a basic leg fracture costs about $16,082 at the Kapiolani Medical Center in Hawaii, while repair of a difficult leg fracture costs about $33,565, not counting the surgeon’s fee. According to Carolina Orthopaedic Surgery Associates, a typical surgeon’s charge could be $2,000 or more.
• In most cases, health insurance would cover a fractured limb. With health insurance, typical costs for treating a broken limb could include thousands of dollars in copays and treatment coinsurance, as well as the yearly out-of-pocket maximum.
• A doctor would realign the bones (called a “reduction”) if necessary for a hairline fracture or a less difficult fracture, then apply a plaster cast on the leg; depending on the location of the break, this might be a short leg cast or a complete leg cast.
• The patient is usually put under general anesthesia for surgical treatment, after which the surgeon makes an incision and inserts screws and/or other hardware to keep the bones in place while they recover.
• A list of common treatments for a fractured leg can be found at the Mayo Clinic. According to WebMD, recovery takes at least six to eight weeks.
• Initially seeking care in an emergency department might add $1,000 to $2,000 or more to the total bill; charges would include an emergency room visit fee, an emergency room doctor fee, and the cost of a temporary cast such as an air cast; the patient would then need to seek treatment from a specialist.
• Crutches range in price from $15 to $40 for a simple pair to $100 or more for quality forearm crutches.
• To recover strength and balance, physical therapy may be required. For six to eight weeks, several sessions per week at $50 to $75 per hour might cost $1,000 or more.
• Metal hardware can normally be kept in patients who have a broken bone fixed surgically unless it causes irritation; if it needs to be removed, it can cost between $2,533 and $11,710 or more, according to Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
• Uninsured/cash-paying patients may be eligible for discounts from several orthopedic physicians. Southern California Orthopedic Institute, for example, offers discounts to cash-paying consumers, and Northwest Community Hospital Orthopedic Services Center in Chicago offers discounts for timely payment.
• Orthopedic speciality care is available at some free clinics, such as the Community Health Free Clinic in Chicago. If the nearest clinic doesn’t offer orthopedic care, ask for a referral from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ directory of federally funded health centers.
• The patient can be referred to a specialist by the general practitioner. Alternatively, the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery has a locator tool that allows you to search for orthopedic surgeons by city, state, or zip code. If the break was caused by a sports injury, the patient should consult a sports medicine expert, who could be a family doctor or an orthopedic surgeon; the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine provides a doctor locator.
• If surgery is essential, risks include anesthetic reaction, infection, blood clots, hardware reaction, and even death.

Do you go to urgent care for a broken bone?

Fractures and fractured bones necessitate medical attention right away. Our Urgent Care can treat a fracture, however the treatment will vary depending on the location and severity of the fracture. Some bone injuries can be treated with just a cast, while others may necessitate surgery. Come to Our Urgent Care if you fear you have a fracture and need to be evaluated and treated for your injury.

What type of bone fractures are there?

If you’ve had a fracture, our doctors will first evaluate the type of fracture before treating you. The following are some examples of common bone fractures:

• The most frequent and basic type of fracture is a stable fracture, in which the bone is broken but does not move out of place. On an X-ray, it appears as a line, with no gap between the two fragments of bone in certain cases.
• Hairline Fracture: Also known as a “partial fracture,” these fractures do not shatter or split the bone completely.
• Compound fractures, also known as open fractures, occur when the skin is broken together with the bone. Occasionally, a piece of bone will pass through the skin.

What are the Signs & Symptoms of Fracture?

Pain is the most obvious indicator of a fracture. Once a bone has broken, it is no longer possible to apply full pressure to the area.

Fractures can produce swelling, bruising, and bleeding in addition to the discomfort. Fractures that are close to the joint might limit movement.

You may also feel disoriented, look pale, or faint depending on the severity of the pain or its location. This is especially true of femur or pelvic fractures.

Although a broken bone can sometimes be detected by looking at it or touching it, X-rays are usually needed to confirm the diagnosis. X-rays also indicate the type and extent of the fracture, which aids the doctor in determining the best treatment option.

What is the Treatment for Fractures?

The most common treatment for fractures is casts and braces. Because most fractures cause swelling, they must be treated with splints to allow the swelling to subside before the fractured limb is placed in a cast. Splints, casts, and braces basically immobilize the bone in the proper position, allowing it to heal naturally over time. You may need to wear a cast or brace for several weeks or months if you have been treated with one.

How much does it cost to cast a wrist?

• Without health insurance, the cost of diagnosing and treating a broken wrist can range from $7,000 to $10,000 or more. According to a cost calculator from Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis, Tennessee, surgical treatment of a distal radius fracture (a typical wrist fracture) costs roughly $6,056, not counting the doctor fee. According to a cost calculator from Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, surgical treatment of a scaphoid fracture (another frequent wrist fracture) costs on average roughly $7,328, not counting the doctor charge. According to Carolina Orthopaedic Surgery Associates, a typical doctor charge for surgical repair of a fracture could be $2,000 or more.
• Health insurance usually covers treatment for a sprained or broken wrist. An X-ray cost, an office visit copay, and a coinsurance of 30% or more for the procedure are typical expenses for a patient with insurance. The sum could exceed the yearly out-of-pocket maximum if surgery is performed.
• Rest, icing, compression (using an elastic bandage), and elevation can all be used to treat a moderate wrist sprain at home. A doctor would most likely put a splint on a significant wrist sprain to keep it still for around 10 days. In the case of a severe sprain, an orthopedic surgeon may need to operate to repair the wrist tendon.
• In the case of a fractured wrist, the doctor would realign the bone if necessary (called a “reduction”) before applying a plaster cast that would last for up to 12 weeks. If surgery is necessary — usually for a more severe fracture — the surgeon will make an incision and insert screws or other hardware to keep the bone in place while it heals.
• A comprehensive description of broken wrists and hands can be found at the Mayo Clinic. Wrist sprains, as well as the two most prevalent types of wrist breaks, scaphoid fractures and distal radius fractures, are covered by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
• Going to the emergency department for first treatment might add $1,000 to $2,000 to the ultimate bill; charges would include an emergency room visit fee, an emergency room doctor fee, and possibly the cost of a temporary cast, such as an air cast; the patient would then need to see an orthopedic specialist.
• If the patient requires physical therapy, it could cost $1,000 or more for six to eight weeks of treatments at $50 to $75 per hour or more. Physical therapy for fractured wrists is discussed at Anchor Physical Therapy.
• Metal hardware can normally be kept in patients who have a broken bone fixed surgically until it causes irritation in the future; if it needs to be removed, it can cost between $2,533 and $11,710 or more, according to Saint Elizabeth Regional Medical Center in Lincoln, Nebraska.
• Orthopedic speciality care is available at some free clinics, such as the Community Health Free Clinic in Chicago. If the nearest clinic doesn’t offer orthopedic care, ask for a referral from the US Department of Health and Human Services’ directory of federally funded health clinics.
• The patient can be referred to a specialist by the general practitioner. Alternatively, the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery has an orthopedic specialist locator that allows you to search by location, state, or zip code. A doctor who specializes in sports medicine, such as a family physician or an orthopedic surgeon, could treat a sports-related injury; the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine has a doctor locator.

Can an arm be broken and still move?

Many of these factors may influence the final outcome of a broken bone, depending on the specific accident and medical history:

• Healing problems might occur when a fracture has many breaks, involves a joint, has open wounds, or becomes infected.
• The probability of losing some capacity or movement in the fractured arm is higher in older persons.
• Chronic conditions like osteoporosis and diabetes might make mending more difficult.

How much does it cost to fix a broken bone in America?

• Surgical surgery for a fractured arm might cost $16,000 or more if you don’t have health insurance. For example, at Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis, Tennessee, surgical repair of a humerus (upper arm bone) fracture costs around $14,911, not including the surgeon charge. According to Carolina Orthopaedic Surgery Associates, a typical surgeon charge for surgical repair of a fracture could be $2,000 or more.
• In most cases, health insurance would cover a broken arm. With health insurance, expenditures might include copays for medical visits and treatment coinsurance of 30% or more, which could add up to thousands of dollars or the yearly out-of-pocket maximum.
• If an X-ray confirms a simple break, the doctor will apply a cast on the arm to allow it to heal properly and appropriately position the broken bones (called a “reduction”).
• If the break is more difficult, the doctor will make an incision and put wires, screws, or other hardware to keep the bones in place while they heal.
• An emergency hospital visit, an emergency room doctor fee, and the cost of a temporary cast such as an air cast might add $1,000 to $2,000 or more to the ultimate bill; the patient would then need to seek treatment from a specialist.
• The patient can be referred to a specialist by a general practitioner. Alternatively, the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery has a locator tool that allows you to search for orthopedic surgeons by city, state, or zip code. Alternatively, consult a sports medicine specialist, who could be a family physician or an orthopedic surgeon; the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine has a doctor locator.

How much is a broken arm worth?

In a personal injury claim, the typical settlement value for a broken arm is between $50,000 and $80,000. Arm fractures in the upper arm are more valuable than those in the lower arm. The most serious broken arm instances (those with multiple fractures or bone splinters) can fetch $300,000 or more in settlement.

How much does it cost to cast a foot?

• A broken foot’s treatment is usually covered by health insurance. A patient with insurance would normally be responsible for an X-ray cost, an office visit fee, and a 10% to 50% coinsurance for the operation. The cost of a small stress fracture could range from $100 to the yearly out-of-pocket maximum for surgery.
• A month of rest is usually all that is required to repair a stress fracture, which is caused by a sudden increase in exercise such as walking or jogging.
• For other forms of foot fractures, the doctor will realign the bones, then put a cast or brace or require the patient to wear a special shoe for the next six to eight weeks to hold the bones in place while they heal. Surgery to put hardware to hold the bones in place may be required in rare circumstances.
• A primer on foot fractures is available from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
• Crutches range in price from $15 to $40 for simple crutches to $100 for deluxe forearm crutches. Crutches are usually covered by health insurance with a fee for durable medical equipment.
• A $500 or more emergency room visit fee could be added to the final bill if you go to the emergency department for first treatment.
• Uninsured/cash-paying patients can receive discounts from some hospitals and podiatric and orthopedic specialists. For example, Washington Hospital Healthcare System in California offers uninsured patients a 35 percent discount as well as a financial help program for those who qualify. For Your Feet Podiatric Medicine/Foot Surgery in Colorado, as well as the Southern California Orthopedic Institute, offers discounted services to cash-paying individuals.
• Orthopedic and podiatric speciality care is available at some free clinics, such as the Community Health Free Clinic in Chicago. A list of federally supported health centers is available from the US Department of Health and Human Services. The US Department of Health and Human Services recommends contacting clinics directly for specific information on their discount policies. These centers are open to anyone and fees are charged on a sliding scale based on federal poverty guidelines; the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends contacting clinics directly for specific information on their discount policies. If your local clinic does not provide orthopedic care, get a referral.
• An orthopedic surgeon or a podiatric surgeon would treat a broken foot. A doctor who specializes in sports medicine, such as a family physician or an orthopedic surgeon, could also treat a sports-related injury.
• The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery has a locator tool that allows you to search for orthopedic surgeons by city, state, or zip code. A doctor locator is available from the American Board of Podiatric Surgery. The American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine also has a doctor locator; be sure the doctor is board certified.

What is the most expensive surgery?

1. Chest exploration surgery. Exploratory chest surgery is the most expensive medical operation in the United States. Similar pre-diagnostic operations cost an average of $137,533 in hospitals.

How much does a full leg cast cost?

An Arm or Leg Cast costs between $141 and $552 on MDsave. Those with high deductible health plans or those who do not have insurance might save money by purchasing their procedure in advance with MDsave. Learn more about MDsave’s operation.