I've been waiting for "the other shoe to drop"...
[ie : the bill for my finger surgery...]
because I was sure that there was a deductible...
and that it was going to burn a hole...
in my rapidly diminishing financial resources...
it came today...
in a fat creamy envelope from Blue Shield...
& unable to bear the suspense any longer...
I opened it and began to read...
2/02/09 office visit $ 102.44 allowed $ 10.00 patient resp.
2/04/09 surgery $ 827.17 allowed $ 0 patient resp.
2/04/09 anesthesia $ 266.88 allowed $ 0 patient resp.
2/04/09 hospital serv. $4858.00 allowed $ 0 patient resp.
that's a total of $6,054.49, allowed...
they billed $ 9,443.46...
but because my doctor & the hospital involved...
were in the "network"...
the costs were $3,388.99 less than the regular price...
and my share... ? a $10 co-pay for the first office visit...
I also owe a $10 co-pay to the first orthopedist...
and $50 [deductible] to the emergency room...
so if you're counting along at home...
that's $70 the dislocation has cost me in medical bills...
[there was also $20.00 co pay for the drugs...
so it's really $90.00....]
it could have been SSSOOOOOO much worse...
if I didn't have insurance, it would be nearly $10,000.00 I'd owe...
I really thought that I'd have to pay at least $500.00...
I guess having to have an "acute" surgery...
may have saved me...
for whatever reason, I'm grateful...
now... if only the IRS would "go away"...
5 comments:
Ah, yes...God IS good...all the time! With all the pain and suffering you have been through with that finger what a wonderful "ending" to the story! Happy continued healing!
Hugs,
All people who have been pillaged by health insurance costs are cheering for you! That's really quite amazing. The Blue Cross incarnation in my neck of the woods isn't nearly as munificent. Also having a high-deductible plan to save on premiums contributes to the ouch factor, at least until the big lump at the first of the year is covered.
...thanks to you both...
I thought I HAD one of those big deductible plans...but it wasn't...so my ouch is every month...
when I have to pay the $175.00 my former district won't pay...
my only other less expensive choice is Kaiser...'nuff said ?
Ah, but with that high deductible I also get to pay almost $300.00 a month (for an individual plan) so it's more of a deal than the other one, but not much of a deal. It would be about $500 a month for the 80/20 low deductible plan. The fact that we even have good group insurance with an excellent doctor selection available for retirees from this agency is a blessing, but it ain't cheap and will never get cheaper. The Medicare supplement plan costs about what my policy now does, and Medicare is going up every year. My mom is out over $600 dollars a month for Medicare, supplement and Part D insurance.
Kaiser - I'd rather go to my vet.
...I'd go to my vet in a heartbeat...
I'd rather go back to the first stupid orthopod[who thought there was nothing wrong with my finger...]
than go to Kaiser...
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