stupid healthcare (yes it needs to be fixed)
August 21, 2008
alright i had an iud put in- yippee! downside is that stupid insurance didn’t tell me the proper information when i called PRIOR to getting it and told me it was covered in full. now i have a bill for nearly $600 that i can’t afford at the moment. on the positive side of things the health insurance notified me that teh dctr office has been overcharging me on my co-payments. i was supposed to have an appointment today, but 20 minutes (thank god i hadn’t left work) prior they cancelled on me. so now i have a delayed appointment, which i have to re-clear with my new bosses (painful) and then upon having the appointment get to argue about them over-charging me, while asking to set up a payment plan for the rest of the money that i now owe them.
August 21, 2008 at 8:34 pm
Healthcare is one of my biggest complaints! Did you know that if you went in and negotiated a cash price, you would probably have had to pay less than $600? I had the same problem with my anaesthesiologist. Come to find out the only reason insurance prices are as high as they are is to cover everyone who doesn’t pay their bill. Our entire healthcare system needs to change. Let’s do what they do in Canada!
PS…though it’s like 1 in a million…my sis was born w/my mom’s IUD in her hand, so you may want to be a little careful!
August 22, 2008 at 2:17 pm
According to The Week, Healthcare should be the number one campaign issue, particularly if we have hopes for improvement in our economy. It’s Healthcare that’s making us poorer.
While I can echo your frustrations with medical bills you can’t afford based on a “mistake” of the insurance company, and aggravation that comes with chasing that down – it came to my surprise when my $20,000(!) emergency hospital visit was covered in total. I actually got a refund from the hospital for the copay they collected from me. So, some of my “why the hell do I even have insurance if it’s going to cost me so much?” feelings of this year were pacified for the moment.
August 22, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Oh healthcare…don’t get me started. cbarrett is right on the negotiated cash price. but since that wasn’t done ahead of time… if you have a moment to go in and talk to the dr office…maybe you can ask for some mercy on the bill. i have heard a lot of places will do it if you talk to them in person and explain your situation in a nice calm manner.