It’s not every day that you have to think about visiting a podiatrist for a special problem with your feet. But every now and then, you might end up with a serious foot issue that can significantly impact your daily life.
Whether it’s an ingrown toenail, a bunion, athlete’s foot, or something else, issues with your feet can make the simple act of walking around a struggle. With that said – what would you have to pay to visit a podiatrist?
So how much does the average podiatrist visit cost, with or without health insurance? Like any doctor visit, there are a number of important factors that determine the cost of every specific podiatrist visit.
Some of these factors are your location, the expertise of your podiatrist, the purpose of the visit (whether consultation, treatment, or surgery), and the length of the appointment.
On average, a short consultation with a podiatrist should cost anywhere from $60 to $400.
Understanding Podiatrist Cost
A visit to a podiatrist means getting specialty care that general practitioner doctors can’t do on their own. This means that patients should be expecting slightly higher costs with a podiatrist visit than the average visit to their family doctor or pediatrician. Podiatrists specialize in care for the lower extremities, specifically the feet and the ankle. Common conditions related to these areas include:
- Unwanted odor
- Ingrown toe nails
- Athlete’s foot
- Toenail fungus
- Sports injuries
- Ankle or foot pain
- Hammer toe
- Calluses
- Warts
- Bunions
- Flat feet
To understand how much your podiatrist visit might cost, it is important to get a good idea of what treatment you are seeking. What is wrong with your foot or ankle, and what kind of treatment would you need to help your condition?
The cost of a podiatrist visit varies on a case-by-case basis. A practice’s rates are generally consistent, and health insurance should cover at least some of the payment, depending on your condition. If you are visiting a podiatrist without any insurance, you will have to pay more out of pocket to cover the whole cost.
The consultation with the podiatrist makes up the first part of your bill. As stated above, the consultation rate of your podiatrist will depend on your location and the expertise of the doctor (cities and more experienced doctors will generally charge more). On average, patients can expect consultation costs to range from $60 to $400.
Cost Per Podiatrist Treatment
After the consultation, your next costs at the podiatrist will depend on the condition to be treated as well as the kind of procedure to be done. It’s not always about the kind of procedure – your cost will also depend on what is being treated. For example, while callus removal procedures and ingrown toenail removal procedures are both removal treatments, they do not cost the same as different conditions are being removed.
- Ingrown toenail: Ingrown toenails can be extremely difficult to live with, and getting them removed as soon as possible is the best thing a person can do for themselves. The average surgical removal rates for an ingrown toenail ranges anywhere from $250 to $500.
- Callus: Calluses are also a pain to deal with on the foot, but these are simpler to remove and treat. For a podiatrist callus removal treatment, patients can expect an average cost of $90.
- Bunions: Bunions are a deformity that can be found on the outside of the big toe, and to remove them requires a surgical procedure. The surgery for bunion removal costs anywhere from $40,80 to $6357.
Does Insurance Cover Podiatrist Visits?
Routine visits to a podiatrist are typically covered by most healthcare insurance plans, however recent changes in healthcare coverage has led to some frustrating restrictions when it comes to foot care.
Here are some medically necessary situations in which Medicare will cover the podiatry treatment:
- Patients who have foot problems that are related to greater conditions, such as diabetes, vein inflammation, chronic kidney disease, cancer, or others
- Patients who have diabetes and need custom-made shoe inserts or therapeutic shoes
- Patients who have diabetes and have a loss of sensation in their ankles or feet
- Patients who need toenail clippings that are done by a professional as it would be hazardous to their health otherwise
Most professional and trusted podiatrists will work with patients in contacting their insurance company to find out what exactly is covered before undergoing any treatment.
Hippocratic Solutions – Podiatry Billing Services
Billings and other office tasks can hold back the growth of any podiatry clinic, which is why Hippocratic Solutions is here to help. Hippocratic Solutions assists podiatrists all over the country with billing with insurance companies and other office needs.
Contact us today to find out more about how Hippocratic Solutions can help you maximize your podiatry clinic.
