That'll Be HOW MUCH???????.......

PART I

About six years ago, Cindy and I were invited to a dinner party at the home of friends.  There were three other couples besides us, and we enjoyed a wonderful dinner and conversation. 

As we arose from the table following dessert, my blood pressure  decided to crash.  I felt it coming, but was unable to sit back down in time.  I ended up sprawled out on the floor of the dining room,  the coffee I was carrying splashed on the nice carpeting with me unconscious.  It made quite a floor show --- pun intended.

Of course, my fellow dinner partiers were horrified.  They thought I was having a heart attack.  Panic ensued.  An ambulance was called.

Of course, I knew what was happening to me because this is a condition that has dogged me since childhood.  About once a year, at unpredictable times, my B/P crashes and I go down for the count.  I am usually "out" about 2 seconds, and then my strength returns and I can function normally.  I don't know what causes this seemingly random condition, but I have learned to live with it. 

Although I did not want or need to ride in an ambulance, I felt my friends would feel much better if I did.  So I allowed the medicos to transport Cindy and me to the hospital---a ride of about 10 blocks.  I went to the ER, got examined, received fluids, got a brain scan (they found NOTHING...Ha), and was released within three hours.

Cost:  $8,000

To say I was shocked would be a gross understatement.  When I asked about the bill, the response from hospital administration was this:  "Don't worry about it---your insurance covers it".

PART II

A friend was recently diagnosed with diabetes.  His doctor told him he needed to sit in on ten hours of instructional classes to educate him about his condition.  When he asked how much this ten hours of instruction would cost, the nurse told him.

Cost:  $3,000 

To say he was shocked would be an understatement.  When he asked why the instruction cost $300 per hour, the response he got was:  "Don't worry about it---Your insurance covers it."

PART III

A family member recently had an onset of what I would describe as a "panic attack".  She thought she was having a medical emergency.  She thought she was having a heart attack.  Her husband rushed her to the hospital ER.  She was admitted into the hospital, and for three days she underwent a series of tests to try to diagnose her ailment (which disappeared within a few hours of admission).  When she was released after a three day stay she was presented with a bill.

Cost:  $17,000

To say she was shocked would be a gross understatement.  When she asked about the bill, the response from hospital administration was this:  "Don't worry about it---your insurance covers 90% of it."

Can anyone tell me what is wrong with this picture?