What is the Patient Assist Program? What is the Endoscopy Assistance Program?

The Patient Assist Program is designed to help patients receive the medical procedures they need at a fair and reasonable price. For patients that do not have insurance coverage for their Upper GI Endoscopy, Patient Assist offers discounts that are similar to those an insured patient would receive – relieving the financial pressures that often result in patients delaying screenings. Patient Assist also offers special Financing Options for these procedures.

What is included in my quote from Patient Assist for my Upper GI Endoscopy?

All Patient Assist flat-rate prices include the physician’s fees, the facility’s fees, anesthesia fees, and pathology fees. It will also include the cost of all materials used during the procedure and any pathology or lab fees incurred if the physician requests that specimens be studied after your endoscopy. Before your procedure, you may be required to meet with the physician for an examination called a Consultation or Consult. A deposit may be owed prior to your consultation based on the requirements of our partners. Your Care Coordinator will determine your deposit amount in advance based on the provider you choose. Deposits are typically $200-350. The flat-rate price does not include post-procedure visits.

How much does an Upper GI Endoscopy cost (without the Patient Assist Program)?

An endoscopy is the collection of services from a facility, physician, anesthesiologist, and sometimes a pathology lab. For all of these services, patients that do not use Patient Assist will typically spend around $2,000 and often exceed $3,000, however many patients are charged much more – sometimes exceeding $4,500 – for the exact same procedure.

How are your prices so much lower and are these doctors qualified?

Patient Assist works to negotiate – on your behalf – the same kinds of discounts that many insured patients receive. These discounts are then passed directly to you – the patient – ensuring you receive a fair price for your procedure.

This program would not be possible without the participation of our Medical Providers – the doctors and facilities that participate in this program. They believe in assisting patients like you and accept lower rates to make your procedure more affordable and therefore attainable. These providers offer exceptional care and meet a very high minimum standard – this is discussed in more detail in another FAQ: “How will I know if my provider is safe and qualified for the procedure?”

How will I be billed for my Upper GI Endoscopy?

You will only be billed by New Choice Health (the parent company behind the Patient Assist Program) for your procedure. If you are billed by anyone other than New Choice Health you should under no circumstances pay this amount and contact us immediately at concierge@newchoicehealth.com. You will be sent an invoice via email for your payment once you have chosen to schedule your procedure.

What forms of payment do you accept?

You can pay your invoice via the following payment methods: Credit Card, ACH / Bank Transfer, Check* or Money Order*, or via our Financing programs. Please remember that payments must be received by New Choice Health 7 days prior to your appointment. Payments cannot be made directly to the provider.

For more information on Financing, see the FAQ on additional financing methods below.

* If you pay by check or money order, it must be received by New Choice Health 7 days prior to your appointment.

Can I pay with my Health Savings Account (HSA) or Flexible Spending Account (FSA)?

Yes. You will be provided a receipt upon payment of your invoice which you will need. Please contact the administrator of your HSA or FSA for more information.

Do you offer Financing for my Upper GI Endoscopy?

Patient Assist offers several Financing options such as CareCredit for qualifying patients. These Financing options allow patients to pay the cost for their procedure over a longer period of time and often at no additional costs (e.g. no interest).

Please contact our Care Coordination Team for detailed information on all our Financing Options prior to applying.

What if I need to cancel my Endoscopy?

Cancellations for a full refund are accepted up to 2 business days prior to your appointment. You will be charged all provider cancellation fees that are incurred when cancelling within 2 business days prior to your appointment plus an administrative fee. If you do not reschedule or cancel there is a $500 fee for not showing up for a scheduled appointment plus any cancellation fees from the providers. Please contact concierge@newchoicehealth.com immediately to cancel or reschedule your procedure. NOTE: If you cancel your procedure according to the terms above but after you have completed a consultation, you will not be refunded the consultation fee.

If you do not complete the preparation instructions fully and completely and the physician is not able to complete your procedure, you are still responsible for 85% of the flat rate price.

If you complete your procedure without making your payments on time, providing a check that is returned/NSF, or disputing your credit card charges, you are then responsible for the non-discounted procedure price of the procedure. This can be 3-5x the price you have been quoted. We offer no exceptions to this policy.

What do I need to do to prepare for my Upper GI Endoscopy?

It is very important that you follow all preparations instructed by your physician. This will be provided in advance of the procedure and may include some of the items mentioned below and/or other instructions. Please notify your physician immediately if you have any questions or trouble with the prescribed preparations. An endoscopy procedure cannot be completed successfully if you have not properly prepared as prescribed by your physician, and fees will apply if the physician is unable to complete the endoscopy as a result of improper or poor preparations.

Do Upper GI Endoscopies Hurt?

Often patients site discomfort more than pain. During an Upper GI Endoscopy a scope is guided down your throat and air is often used to inflate areas of your GI tract to make them easier to inspect with the scope. This causes a sensation that can be described as uncomfortable and/or cramping, but can also create significant unease in the patient. Sedation is typically provided to alleviate many of these feelings.

How will I feel after the procedure? Can I drive? Go to work?

Most people feel OK after an endoscopy though you may feel odd from the sedative. Your care team will monitor you. Plan to have someone drive you home. Because the endoscopy is usually done with sedation that makes you sleepy, most people miss work the day of the test.

What if the doctor finds something such as a polyp?

In the rare occasion a polyp is found, the doctor will likely remove it during the test. Eventually, some polyps could become cancer. A large polyp, a tumor, or anything else abnormal usually requires a biopsy be done and some or all of the polyp is taken out through the endoscope. Your doctor will send it to a pathology lab where it will be checked for cancer or pre-cancer cells. The costs of this are included in our flat-rate price – no matter how many polyps are removed and tested.

Will I receive the results from my Endoscopy? How?

Yes. The physician’s office will provide a copy of the report from your Upper GI Endoscopy, and a copy will be provided to your Primary Care Physician (PCP). The report is typically sent in the mail but you can always request a copy via email by contacting concierge@newchoicehealth.com.

How will I know if my provider is safe and qualified for the procedure?

Any healthcare provider that provides services to our patients must meet our strict credentialing criteria. The criteria is designed to ensure a standard of care significantly higher than the national average.

Physicians must*:

1. hold an active license to practice in their state and be in good standing
2. have at least 7 years of experience practicing as a physician
3. be board certified in Gastroenterology or General Surgery
4. regularly perform a minimum of 25 endoscopy procedures a month

(* Residents and physicians in training are not eligible for this program.)

Facilities must:

1. be state certified and in good standing
2. be accredited by either JCAHO, AAAHC, AAASF or CMS
3. regularly perform more than 25 endoscopy procedures per month
4. must pass an in-person inspection (if determined necessary) keep documentation for the sterilization of each scope