Medicare covers for robotic hip replacement and the out of pocket expense for a patient is not more than what the patient would incur for traditional hip replacement.  If the patient has Medicare without a secondary, the patient is responsible for the 20% that Medicare does not cover.  This 20% amount in 2018 is a few hundred dollars and the surgeon’s office should be able to give you an accurate out of pocket expense that will be incurred by the patient.  The Medicare rates change, but the surgeon’s office should have this information.
Hip replacement is elective surgery and there should ideally be no surprises as to what your out of pocket expenses will be for the surgery. Patients are responsible for their deductible, copay and co-insurance. Some commercial insurance companies refuse to tell the provider what the amount of the patient’s deductible.
If a surgeon’s office is unable to tell you your out of pocket expense, you can call your insurance company to inquire about out of pocket costs.  My experience with private insurance companies is that when the patient calls them and informs them, they are working with “out of network” provider, they try to steer the patient away to a doctor who is in their network. The majority of surgeons who provide excellent care in New York are not employed by hospitals and do not participate in most insurance networks.
If the patient has Medicare and a secondary insurance, the secondary insurance will cover the 20%.  The patient may have a deductable with a secondary insurance.  Medicare also has a deductible that is usually met within a few visits to the doctor in the early part of the year.