Speedwell

The morning of major surgery to remove my massively infected, life-threatening time bomb of a useless, dead kidney, a Catholic hospital told me I suddenly owed 800 dollars. I had to call eight friends and borrow various amounts from each one. The surgery was late while I begged them to wait for me to come up with the money, and almost had to be rescheduled for three weeks later. The doctor said it was a good thing I was able to come up with the money because he thought three more weeks would have done irreparable damage to my body. When I asked him what I should have done if I couldn't raise the money, he just shrugged. "These things happen, it's just bad luck," he said.

fatbrit

Can you just hold on while I call the local news desk, please. You're name's Mrs. Smith, isn't it?

Speedwell

Sorry, I don't get it. I could laugh now, but it wasn't one bit funny at the time.

SanDiegogirl

Sorry, did not delete in time, but glad that it was helpful.

I think e-mailing the doctor to ask where the procedure would take place is the best move - and get him to detail exactly where.

Once you have ascertained if it is going to be an outpatient job or a doctor's office procedure (can't imagine this second scenario), then you can get down to basics as to how much it is going to cost. Total cost (facilities, staff, bed, etc) and how much YOU will have to pay.

I think whoever you were speaking to in medical services/cost estimates was only quoting you your policy details - 30 bucks for an office visit and then however much your deductible is for an outpatient procedure is likely to be.

Those CPT codes are very useful.

fatbrit

What's not funny is the passionate way the system is defended by otherwise rational people.

SanDiegogirl

Presume you don't have insurance?

I just don't know how people sleep at night knowing that one major medical problem could, literally, kill you.

fatbrit

It's not like having health insurance actually solves the problem, though. They still demand money up front.

And most non-group insurance is a waste of money, anyway until the new law cuts in. You'd be better off with accident insurance, since that's about all it actually covers you for. A protracted illness and you'll be off their books in a jiffy.

Speedwell

I did have insurance. That was my anticipated 20 percent share after the insurance paid 80 percent. I had already satisfied my entire deductible.

Oh, also, three days after getting out of intensive care after the surgery, while I was still on heavy narcotics and heavier antibiotics, they sent someone from Accounting to my room with a clipboard full of forms to ask me for payment. I may have been on drugs but I had enough presence of mind to ask what they hell they were trying to pull, asking me to pay a bill they had not even submitted to my insurance company or given to me to review. I threw the vampire out of my room. Every time they called the house after that, I asked them when they were going to send me the itemized bill. Do you know, they never sent me one?

Sally Redux

So what was all that crap Romney was spouting about comparing prices?

Gah.

Not sure I would let anyone loose on my body here unless I had to. Maybe wear a blob?

Hope everything's OK for you Bob.

GeoffM

I looked back at a previous email from Kaiser and noticed it had a different phone number. So I phoned it and this is what was said:

$1750 comes from $1500 deductible plus 10% copay of $2501 surgery cost. That's if you're put to sleep in an outpatient clinic.

$30 is the copay if done in a doctor's office.

The reason for the confusion is because Kaiser are in a transition stage where some plans cover the cost as a preventative measure and some don't, and some cover a general anaesthetic and some don't.

So - and she stressed this - as long as I find out in the initial doctor visit where the setting will be, I should know whether it's going to be the former or the latter. In other words, it's up to the doctor where it'll be - though I thought that the vast majority are done with local anaesthetic.

I hope.

Speedwell

It's not up to the doctor, it is up to you. Tell the doctor you cannot possibly pay for the outpatient clinic, and you will not be sent to one. I also tell the doctor when a medication is going to be stupid expensive and ask if an alternative is available. You can't trust the doctor to choose the most cost-effective good alternative; you must speak up for yourself.

GeoffM

Point taken, though the outpatient option would be a "no" anyway as I can't afford it! So he either does the cheap option or not at all!

jeffreyhy

You had to ask how to choose? Doesn't the price difference make it a no brainer? [EDIT: I had mine done in a doctor's office with a local anaesthetic. Less than an hour, as I recall, and minimal discomfort for only a day or two.]

Good move, by the way. Very liberating. And you won't have to worry any longer that your or your wife's employer, which ever you get your medical insurance through, might decide that it has a religious objection to providing an insurance plan that covers birth control pills.

Regards, JEff

Bob

Aye, fine in the end, able to see a doc a couple hours after I called as he had a cancellation, good job too as things were a spot bloody painful. Then a 6 hour wait at the hospital for a scan, so me and the kids buggered off to the mall for a few hours before heading back.

Then a handful of drugs, antibiotics and painkillers.

Yet to see a bill, so I might weep yet

GeoffM

Well yes, I know what I would choose, what wasn't clear from the start was how I choose - or even if I could choose! The difference in the types of surgery (local vs general) wasn't even mentioned, just the setting.

If it's one thing I've learned, it's that you have to keep phoning until you get somebody that is (a) willing; and (b) able to explain.