Dear Aviva,
I am looking to get back surgery for a herniated disc. I want to get a second opinion just to be safe. I have regular kupah coverage, the highest supplemental level, so I assume I can go to a private doctor for the second opinion. How much does it generally cost? And if I decide to get surgery through a private surgeon and not through a kupah doctor is this possible and how much does it cost?
Sincerely,
Pain in the Back
Dear Pain,
If you have the highest or second highest level of supplemental insurance from your kupah they’ll reimburse you for about 85% of the payment of the private surgeon’s consult, up to around 800 NIS. Surgeons can charge anywhere from 800 to 1500 NIS for a private appointment, really depends. You could do it privately, and again, if you have supplemental insurance, you need to get initial permission from them but then you can get a large percentage of the money back. The kupah will cover your additional surgical costs (hospitalization, anesthesiology, etc..) but you’ll need to pay the surgeon privately. If you choose to go through the system, and not with a private surgeon, then the surgeon who is on duty for that day will do your surgery.
Yours in Health,
Aviva
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