JoJee,

First of all, no injection I have ever had was $7000.00! And I have had plenty through the years. I also have had them done in a surgery center and in the office. What you were billed for so to say was use of the surgery center and the use of another Anesthesiologist as you stated. I just had to HAVE an injection done at a surgery center that is in a hospital setting. This is important to know as Medicare has now stated that if sedation is involved, it HAS to be at a center within a hospital. My PM does injections at both places; in the surgery center with sedation or in the surgery center at his own group without sedation. Furthermore, every insurance company contracts and what the doctors are paid are pretty much the same; insurance companies HAVE to abide by the Medicare rate. So, it is not so much what they are billing for as it is the location and the rules and regulations. Why your first doctor had another Anesthesiologist is odd. But it is not unusual. My hand doctor has a background in Anesthesiology but his specialty is not that alone of course. And he used a different Anesthesiologist as well. Bottom line is, these numbers you have been reading about and/or to be release on Wednesday are skewed big time!