Shock Therapy

[Bucky]

It should be against the law or something for a bill to be delivered on a Friday! 

Today has been a good day.  Then, I walked to the mailbox to get the mail.  Oh, a new Redbook magazine . . good, something for me to look through.  Junk mail - that gets tossed.  Uh oh . . . benefit sheet from insurance carrier.

I recently had an appointment for an echocardiogram . . this was the breakdown of benefits for that bill.  Good grief . . . it wasn't my plan for me to buy the machine that did this test!!   

Breathe . . . breathe . . . . breathe

I'm hoping the hospital writes this amount off as they did a "match" of benefits since they are not part of my "in network" plan.  One piece of good news is there is a capped maximum of $250 per visit with the match program (on my part).  I'm still hoping the $608 insurance paid them will suffice.

On Monday, I have an appointment with a Cardiologist in regards to the echo.  Shoot, people don't need to take a stress test on a treadmill . . . just hand them their bill . . . shock therapy will test their hearts!!      

Bucky

[navydad]

You should see the bills i get from Mayo,, I laugh at it,, like your gonna get a dome from me when Insurance said they would pay for it,, last one was for 11,000,, and that was just a fraction of the cost,,,, and I wasent that impressed with them anyway,, there probably good for the obvious,, but for what some of us have,, forget it,, if it iant visible,, then its not tehre,,

[Joe S.]

There are times that I just want to die to save medical costs!

[Patze]

Yeah, tend to get the most laughs from some of the bills I get!  Especially from the old Opthamologist's office, laughed a lot at their bills...so did the insurance company (they have since changed the billing procedure, too late for me, but hopefully it'll help someone else (I've changed opthamologists)).

Sometimes breathing is so over rated Bucky! 

Can you call the hospital and see if they'll settle for a partial payment instead?  It's worked now and then for some of my elderly relatives that are on a tightly fixed budget.

Take care my friend -

Patze

[lynnmarie219]

Get this Bucky....with all of the issues I was having my doc sent a urine specimen out of state for a very detailed and exact set of tests. It came back with a bill for just under $3500!! 

I absolutely could not believe it! Thank goodness I have met my deductible and my insurance reduced it to their cost and paid it and I owe nothing...bit I still about died....$3500 for a urine test! Its crazy for what some of these places charge.

I also go to a University Medical Center in Chicago for my rheumy and GI and used to go for my neuro until I got mad at him....lol. An office visit up there with some labs ordered can easily cost over $1000 - $1500 a trip! Crazzzzzy!

   

[LizPetillo]

When the idiot doctors misdiagnosed me with thrush they evenutally put me on Ancobon (it should be banned!) .. and I think I remember that each bottle of that was something like $2,600.  Something like that  I'm sure the insurance had a fit.  Our co-pay was something like $30.

[Bucky]

Wow Lynnmarie - you're right . . that is totally crazy!!   

I haven't gotten any bills from the hospital yet . . maybe, I won't - I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will just write off this amount. 

With this doctor visit, we've met our medical deductible too for the year.  I'm saying to myself . . ok doc . . if you're gonna order any labs, x-rays, etc. do it now so I don't have to pay for it!!  I think my next Rheumy app't. is in January - I might call and move that up to December to get everything in this year before the deductible starts over again.  Sigh!

The monetary scale that doctor offices, hospitals, etc. have is ridiculous.  When they have "contracts" with each other and reduce fees . . . reading these benefit sheets just blows my mind.   

WANTED:  Money tree seeds . . . mine seem to have dried up! 

Bucky

[Patze]

Oh my Liz, I've not taken Ancobon, but I've taken an antibiotic (a last ditch kind of thing) that cost me (after the insurance deductable and don't want to know what they paid for them) seventeen dollars a pill and I had ten of them.  Shucks, I thought I'd have to take out a loan to afford the darn things!

Patze

[lynnmarie219]

Bucky,

Just out of curiosity...do you see a local rheumy and if so do you like him/her? I first went to one in your neck of the woods and didn't care for him so that's when I switched, but I know there are more than one with the 3 big hospitals down there.

I'm fine now but there may come a day when traveling to Chicago may be too much for me. I don't mind the drive but sometimes the traffic, construction, etc. can make you crazy after a long day.  

Kind of off topic, but just wondering when you mentioned your rheumy....

[Bucky]

Lynnmarie - yes, my Rheumy is local and affiliated with one of those three hospitals (the one that begins with an "M"). 

I like him - although, I have nothing to compare him to as he's the only one I've ever seen.  He has never ordered any tests, labs, etc.  It seems my GP does that.

You are a brave soul to even attempt the Chicago traffic . . no way, Hosea, would I ever try that!!  I avoid Chicago at all costs!

Bucky

[lynnmarie219]

I'm fine with driving up there for now...after all I'm from that area originally and that is where I learned how to drive. 

I remember our drivers ed teacher used to take us out on the Eisenhower expressway to practice.....lol!

So look out when I'm on the road!