Let’s not even go there
Regarding the proposed health care reform, I should be honest and say I don’t know enough about it to really form an intelligent opinion …………… so that’s all I’ll say about it. I have an UNeducated opinion, but don’t want to start **that** discussion on this blog, so we’ll end it there.
But I will say this, as well:
Bill received yesterday for Blaine’s most recent radiation treatment: $37,285.00
Patient responsibility: $24.00
Thank you, sweet baby Jesus, for the following things, in no particular order:
Scientific and medical advances that allow cancer treatment to exist, and progress.
Health insurance, even if its common knowledge that it doesn’t pay as well as some of the other plans out there.
Medical facilities that continue to accept said-lower-paying medical insurance (because yes, a few well-known facilities are now denying military and veterans care due to their crappy insurance….. and, THANK YOU for your service to our country) (/end sarcasm)
The relief I felt when I saw the amount in the “patient responsibility” column. $37,000.00 ??? That’s almost as much as we paid for our first HOUSE.
15 Responses to Let’s not even go there
January 13th, 2010 saat: 3:03 PM
You’re right, the health care (insurance) reform topic has a lot of sides. Unfortunately, the health insurance companies typically take the brunt of the criticism as evil, profit-hungry capitalists. I have worked for years for a health insurance company, and know our profit margins are very thin (on average, profits for health insurance companies are 2%, much less than other industries. I can say that medical care costs are out of this world — like $37k for radiation therapy, or $200k for one month’s worth of chemo. Most people don’t have much skin in the game (patient liability) so they don’t question what is being charged. Insurance rates go up because medical costs go up. I too feel very very fortunate to have good health insurance, and think everyone should have health care available to them. It’s just not as simple as cracking down on insurance companies. I’m very glad Blaine was able to get the care he needed!
January 13th, 2010 saat: 3:27 PM
Sounds to mean like you got to count 37,000 blessings today! Sweet!!
kimybeee
January 13th, 2010 saat: 3:28 PM
My dinosaur computer doesn’t always show the letters as I type them – Sounds to ME like you counted your blessings!!!
January 13th, 2010 saat: 5:59 PM
Oh, I hear ‘ya, girlfriend! Unfortunately, our “patient responsbility” portion doesn’t get that lucky. Sigh. If anyone is lucky enough to have a low number, I’m glad it’s you!
January 13th, 2010 saat: 6:21 PM
Oh sweet relief!
I agree with you- hooray for advances in medicine. Hooray for insurance. Hooray for those places that keep accepting that insurance!
January 13th, 2010 saat: 6:35 PM
I must have misunderstood. You said that was “crappy” insurance? We had to pay several thousand dollars for my husband’s broken hand to be fixed that our “great” insurance didn’t cover.
What did they not cover that you had to pay $24 for?
January 13th, 2010 saat: 6:51 PM
I feel you! My daughter had botox injections in her thighs and one ankle a few months ago and the bill was $9997.64. I for one had no idea medical botox was so expensive but geez! Our bill was 57 dollars for it.
I complain all the time about what I pay out of pocket for her health costs but when it boils down to it…its 3000 a year out of pocket for her,plus whatever the premiums are for the kids and i that I pay every paycheck. Her Last spinal surgery 2 years ago cost the same as the house we just bought(158,500) and we are getting ready to go through another one.
neverending!
January 13th, 2010 saat: 7:08 PM
Lori, I should clarify. From a patient perspective, military insurance (Tricare) is great. I have said it before and I’ll say it again, it saved us from bankruptcy not once, but two times. However, as far as payment goes, their “rate” of pay is much lower than other companies … therefore, its very difficult to find doctors and medical facilities that will accept it. Just like a doctor can refuse to see Medicare or Medicaid patients, they often refuse to see military patients as well. And now even some “big name” facilities are letting their government contracts decline. That’s how I should have explained it. Kristie
January 13th, 2010 saat: 8:10 PM
Thank goodness for your good news. I had a total abdominal hysterectomy in November and the total was close to $40,000 – my share was $0. That’s right, nothing. And our insurance isn’t a top-of-the-line policy. Finally, all those premium payments have paid off!
January 13th, 2010 saat: 10:44 PM
As a Canadian ex-pat living in Missouri for the past 11 years I have to tell you that the US healthcare system (warts and all) is head and shoulders above socialized medicine systems. Example; my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in July. Her surgery for a full mastectomy? December 29th. And that was fast-tracked. Full knee replacement? Average wait time in Ontario – just over 1 year. If I could get on my knees (partial knee replacement – surgery 2 weeks from making the decision) I would do it every day and thank God for the ability to live here. I love home, but can’t afford to live there anymore.
January 13th, 2010 saat: 10:52 PM
You’re so very lucky with your insurance. My husband has a small business policy and between our monthly premiums and our deductible, we have to pay almost $15,000/year out of pocket before we get to pay a $10 Rx copay, or have our insurance pick up 80% of any major medical expenses. It sucks.
January 14th, 2010 saat: 12:48 AM
Wow! You have some good insurance!
January 14th, 2010 saat: 9:10 AM
Our daughter had a $200,000 asthma attack and we were amazingly lucky it just happened to be the year that the company my husband worked for was trying out a different policy that cover 100% of anything over $2,000. The year before the policy only covered 80%. As I tell everyone, 20% of a shitload of money is still a shitload of money. $40,000 in medical expenses would have killed us financially.
Btw….why is life flight $36,000??? They got paid $1,000/minute….maybe a bit more.
January 14th, 2010 saat: 12:49 PM
Hurrayyyyyyy for you! I love to hear good news.
January 22nd, 2010 saat: 11:50 PM
Whew!
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