FAQS

The physician owners, administrators and affiliated surgeons at St George Surgical Center decided long ago that surgery pricing was trending higher and higher. The agreed that something had to give. Now that many surgical procedures that were limited to the high-cost inpatient setting are allowed to be performed as an outpatient, SGSC passes these savings on to patients and their insurance companies and employer-sponsored health benefit programs. SGSC decided to cut costs without sacrificing patient care, safety and quality. We’re very selective about the insurance plans we accept and hold them accountable for fair and timely payments. We trimmed salaries compared with what hospitals pay their executives. We’ve also trimmed staffing to the minimum necessary to ensure safe operations and quality. We carefully monitor costs for each and every procedure to be able to offer cash-based pricing and not charge for all the paperwork, follow-up and other costs associated with insurance billing. That way, we can offer lower prices to cash-pay surgery patients who deserve the same great care, but at lower prices.

There are more than 59,000 surgical procedures. We couldn’t list them all, so we decided to list about 220 that were the most popular performed by our board-certified surgeons. If you need a procedure that we didn’t list, please contact us by phone, toll free at (844) 673-0095. We’ll check into it and check the price and get back to you right away if we don’t already have the answer.

If you decide to file insurance, you will not be able to get the cash price unless we have a special package price contract with your health insurer. The cash price is for those self-pay patients that make full payment on or before the day of surgery. If you believe your insurer or employer may be interested in a direct contract with SGSC, give us a call and let’s chat about it. We’re always open to innovative ways to help employers and insurers save on surgery costs for their plan participants if they meet our requirements.

It’s simple. SGSC-related physicians are committed to a price that is reasonable and fair for their services. With that level of commitment combined with our level of efficiency as an ASC, we are able to combine the surgeon’s fee with the surgery center and anesthesia fee. The cost savings that we are able to realize is then passed on to our patients and their families. We promise you that the price we offer will be some of the most competitive you will find.

This is an excellent question that is becoming more commonly asked by patients. Simply stated, an ASC is an excellent example of high-quality healthcare at a fraction of the price. In their defense, it is often more difficult for hospitals to quote you a transparent, reliable bundled price for one of 59,000 possible surgery procedures. We made the effort to calculate our costs, supplies, staffing and overheads so we could post reliable, transparent prices online for all patients to see.

And in terms of quality and safety, one benchmark universally compared is the rate of infection. Our reported infection rate is extremely low at 0.037%. One reason this occurs is because of the way we operate. The other reason is that there are fewer sick people around you compared with the hospital inpatient or outpatient setting so you are less likely to catch a hospital-acquired infection in the ASC setting.

Here at SGSC, the same surgeons and specialists that are doing procedures at the hospital perform procedures here at the ASC. They love working here because of our record for safety and efficiency and the professionalism of our clinical and administrative staff. It reflects well on them and it keeps their patients safe and well-cared for.

St. George Surgical Center strives for Total Price Transparency. This means that all standard and customary implants, hardware, plates, screws, meshes, slings, and tissues that are a normal and necessary for the surgery, will be included in the listed price for our bundled price procedures.

We strive to be as transparent as possible so you as the healthcare consumer can make the most informed decision about your surgery and know your out-of-pocket costs before you schedule your procedure.

Some Surgery Centers advertise “Total Price Transparency”, quoting Cash-Prices for surgical procedures that EXCLUDE implants, hardware, and/or the 23-hour Overnight/Extended stay, resulting in additional hidden costs. St. George Surgical Center’s posted pricing INCLUDE all standard costs associated with your surgery, with no surprises. Our posted price for surgical procedures truly represents Total Price Transparency. Make sure to ask about ALL the costs you’ll have to pay so you can avoid nasty surprises.

Nationwide, about 83% of patients, both insured and uninsured, now “shop” healthcare prices. The government also supports this and new legislation will require it. There’s a sense of urgency to adapt to consumer demand for reliable and transparent pricing and a breakdown of exactly how much they will be expected to pay for out-of-pocket at when it is due and payable.

Back in 2014, it took our administrators nearly 8 months of full-time effort to examine and refine our price lists. It takes additional time each month to maintain those lists for surgeries we perform. At St. George Surgical Center, we are proud to share our total price transparency to meet consumer demand. We are also committed to continually improving efficiency and reducing waste associated with delivering surgical services. We hope other surgery centers will follow in our footsteps.

You get a 90 day pricing guarantee at SGSC. We take pride in the fact that we make great effort to avoid changing our prices randomly. Adjusting prices is done after much thought and analysis. We can promise you that there will be no surprises when it comes to the cost of your surgery.

If you require multiple procedures, we promise to do our absolute best to price the surgery as the maximum price you will pay. In some cases, this might not be possible until the surgeon has assessed your specific needs. In any case, you as the patient will make the final decision in regards to your care based on your consultation with the surgeon.

Please call us with any specific questions so we can address your specific concerns and discuss your options. There’s never any obligation or pressure. Toll Free: 844-673-0095.

A preoperative and postoperative visit is definitely part of your surgery!

We believe that every patient should receive the most comprehensive care possible. Every surgeon wants to know their patient before any surgical procedure is performed.

The pre-operative visit is the surgeon’s opportunity to get to know you and your history thoroughly. As important, the surgeon will need to see you post-operatively. The surgeon will determine when your post-operative visit will be, based on different factors. If additional visits are needed, that will need to be worked out with the surgeon on a case-by-case basis, and may be an additional fee to be worked out directly with your surgeon. We’ll also do our level best to coordinate your pre-arrival and follow-up care if you fly or drive to us from your hometown.

Lab tests are an additional cost. We do not believe in unnecessary tests and labs. Rest assured that those labs and tests ordered are the minimum needed to ensure your safety.

Because there are different surgeons requiring different labs for various procedures, it is impossible to include this in our price. Since labs are needed for all patients to a certain degree, we will make sure that you know how much they will be. You can get the list of the testing and medical / dental clearances you’ll need from us and obtain them at a lab testing site or hospital that is covered by your insurance, if you like. If you don’t have insurance, always ask about any discounts they may offer to patients who are prepared to pay up front at the time of service.

Yes, you can recommend a specialist. You may also request a specific surgeon on our staff. Some of our surgeons are well-known outside of our community and come highly-recommended through word of mouth. Since most of our surgeons are here on specific days for surgery, please be sure that the day you schedule is one that your surgeon is performing surgeries.

For any out of pocket financial responsibilities you’ll have at SGSC, we accept cash, cashier’s check, Health Savings Accounts (HSA’s), and all major credit cards. We can also connect you with a selection of companies that offer medical financing. In order to honor our low cash price, full payment must be received before services are rendered. This allows us to keep our prices as low as possible without the costs associated with collecting payment and insurance program overheads.

Yes. We are the only ASC in Southern Utah that has a 23-hour Overnight/Extended-Stay option.

If your surgery requires more than a one-night stay, we have partnered with certified acute care and rehabilitation facilities in the area that can accommodate your needs for a fair and reasonable cost.

If you can safely be accommodated in a hotel, we have arranged discounted rates at several hotels and resorts in the area that meet our patients’ requirements for safety, security, and on-site amenities. We can also send a nurse to stay overnight at the hotel in an adjoining room or to have physical therapists come to your hotel if your doctor believes that is necessary. Hotel stays, nursing and physical therapy are not included in our price quote and are billed separately from charges by SGSC. However, we will usually be able to quote you an estimate of the costs you’ll have to pay.

Recovery from surgery varies by the surgery procedure and your surgeons professional judgment. Your surgeon will give you an estimated recovery time based on the surgical procedure performed.

If you fly or drive from far away, you should plan to arrive at least 1-2 business days (M-F*) prior to your surgery and plan to stay at least the night of your procedure and one or two additional nights. If you don’t reside in the local area and you must travel a few hours to return home, your surgeon will provide you a “fit-to-travel” document that summarizes everything in case you need to explain the procedure you had to medical personnel along your journey home.

*please consider holidays that may fall on a Monday or during the week.

Although we do not provide actual accommodations, we would be more than happy to help you with suggestions for accommodations for yourself and your companion traveler(s). We have great relationships and exclusive discounts with local hotels, businesses, and our patient concierge is available to help you with those needs.