Wednesday, October 19, 2011

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?

18 comments:

  1. The problem is - don't worry about it your insurance will pay - is NOT a good way to believe - and not so true anymore.

    WE DO NEED TO WORRY ABOUT THINGS. We need to use our voice - problem is when and where...

    sandie

    ReplyDelete
  2. Just one example:

    In recent years, California health insurance companies have paid large salaries to their top executives while raising rates significantly for policyholders, according to filings submitted to the state insurance commissioner, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.

    Ioannis Kazanis, spokesperson for the Department of Insurance, said insurers filed the compensation data last month to comply with requirements that took effect this year.

    Salary Details

    In the filings, Blue Shield of California reported that its CEO Bruce Bodaken received more than $4.6 million in pay in 2010. During 2010 and 2011, the health plan raised rates by about 38% for some policyholders.

    Anthem Blue Cross' top-earning executive, Treasurer R. David Kretschmer, received nearly $2.4 million last year. Pamela Kehaly, president of Anthem's California operations, received about $524,000 in 2010. The same year, Anthem sought to raise rates by 39% for some policyholders but eventually scaled down its plans to a 14% rate hike (Mohajer, AP/San Francisco Chronicle, 5/25)

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    1 Timothy 6:10
    King James Version (KJV)


    For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my goodness- this is why our health care system is in such dire straits. It's such a cannibalistic cycle. Glad you are OK, though.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I guess we Canadians...are fortunate concerning our health care!

    ReplyDelete
  5. I won't go there on hospital bills etc. I have been very fortunate that mine have been taken care of and I have no bills for my stroke. I had no insurance at the time of my stroke and the 45 days that I was in two hospitals. 8,000 is just a dent in what I would have had to pay for just the first two weeks. Just for one Dr. to visit me a day was just $150-300 and that was for about 10 Minutes if that... God was watching over me! There was one Dr. that I would love to see again. He prayed for me in the hallway as I was leaving the first hospital. There are wonderful people and I'm thankful to meet one of them!

    I hope that you have a blessed day and that you are doing ok today!

    ReplyDelete
  6. we're living in some crazy times where some crazy people have convinced us to just shut up and accept some crazy things. and the ones who speak out about it aren't sounding so crazy anymore.=)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hope everyone is ok.
    Our health system is different I presume, in Australia.
    Public Hospital visits to see a Dr. are free as long as you don't mind waiting.
    Specialists, an appointment is made, and it's free.
    Public Hospital operation is free, but you have to wait your turn which can be a very long time if not life threating.
    Public Hospital Emergency to see Dr. free.
    Have to pay a small fee for pills.

    Private Health Insurance doesn't always cover full cost of Treatments, Operations etc. lots of reasons.

    Private Health Insurance allows a person to have an operation/or Medical conditions to go in a Private Hospital without waiting...my husband and I have Private Health Insurance.

    Of course there is a lot more to all of this than meets the eye :)

    I wrote all of that incase you were interested.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Everywhere the same....the costs of the insurance are going up every year and the services are going down :-((((

    Take care and many greetings

    ReplyDelete
  9. Good Morning Clint, as I was reading your blog on the COST and the nonchalant attitude of the medical field in the paying of that bill...I thought of how Jesus died for me ...and what was the COST ....just as the high medical bills that I cannot pay neither could I pay for my redemption from the corruption of self...so thankful for Jesus and Insurance....I know I went left when you other guys went right in thought of your blog but I guess that is just what I was thinking the complete time I was reading your blogs/comments....so thankful for Jesus .... He paid our bill for us!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I read this yesterday and thought I had responded. However, it might be that or your post rendered me speechless:-) These charges are obscene, but I don't know what we can do about it. So, let's all get even by staying well. Have a good day, Clint. Blessings...Mary

    ReplyDelete
  11. We need more worrying about it, to hold these cost down and save everyone money. The medical care system is not all at fault neither the insurance companies, we are. We need to voice complaints as loudly as possible. I do about everything I don't like. To everyone within earshot. I don't like clerks (complete strangers) asking me in store lines what my phone number, or even zip code is. I tell them I am paying cash, and I am not giving them any personal information even if it is just a zip code. If they want my cash, then fine if they don't then that is fine too. I will go somewhere else. That usually shuts them up. My son use to get embarrassed, with its not their fault its store policy, then they should have questioned the policy as employees. I am funny this way. The more people get outraged instead of going along with the system. The more chance we have of stopping this idiocy.

    ReplyDelete
  12. The "picture" is worth 1000 words, as they say. When I retired, I tried to buy private insurance for myself and my two daughters. I was able to get insurance for myself, but not for them, one because she was pregnant, and the other because of pre-existing condition, although she is perfectly healthy. Another picture to add to yours!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Clint,
    Good heavens, even if you were not having a heart attack, these bills would be enough to give a person one!

    My son had the same experience when he had to take an ambulance about ONE MILE to the hospital three months ago - cost $2,800 for a two minute, one mile ride. Can you believe it? And his insurance only covered part of it!!!

    Something's got to change. Glad you are okay.
    ...Marsha

    ReplyDelete
  14. What's wrong with the picture is that I don't have their insurance company. What the heck?!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I thought you were going to say that your friends charged you $5000 for new carpet! Now that's just plain wrong!

    And by the way... my brain scan show up empty too! We must be related :-)

    God Bless and have a Wonderful Week :-)

    ~Ron - *The Old Geezer Blog

    ReplyDelete
  16. I don't know what's wrong. It's a crazy world.
    Greetings Sabine

    ReplyDelete
  17. well besides the chickadee's going crazy as they always do all this is craziness-I put on my face book this week for people to boycott stores -retail and grocery-I think they all recently had a meeting and said everything is going up 25%.I know the medical cost are crazy as well-my husband broke his leg 2 years ago-he broke it so dad he keep passing out [ a complete break from his femur. the ambulance insisted on taking him to the hospital instead of helping us load him in the car to bring to the VA because we had no ins. the cost was well over 100 grand. a month later they changed the law and said ambulance drivers could bring patients to the VA directly

    ReplyDelete

---