What was most surprising about the bill was not even the total, rather high, amount; it was an indication that Medicare had paid the lion's share of the bill, or precisely $8,200.61. Over $8,000 of the taxpayers' money for a routine colonoscopy - a procedure that would normally cost a few hundred dollars, maybe a bit more than a thousand for a high-cost doctor in a high-cost area. What was going on here? |