Last Friday I went into the billing office for the hospital where I have all my surgeries.
All being three.
I hadn't received a bill, just statement after statement.
After statement.
I had been in contact with the billing office right before my surgery, setting up a payment plan since I'd had 2 CT scans done (one abdominal and then one for my ankle back in Oct) along with a ton o' blood work and some other junk. Even with my insurance, my account was getting bigger and bigger. There wasn't any way I could just write a check for the whole deal.
So we set up that payment plan. It was about $150 per month (for the rest of my life) and while that seemed like quite a chunk, it was definitely something we could swing.
Fast forward a coupla months to last Friday. I realize I didn't get a bill for February and wanted to know what the deal was so I went in.
"Well, your account balance has increased." (previous payment plan was based pre-surgery)
"So we need to adjust your payment plan amount."
Ugh.
What used to be $150 a month is now $300 per month.
Ugh.
"And we'll need a payment today."
Fo realz?!
I'm frustrated. With me. For not having a savings built up enough to just pay my balance in full.
Thankful. For insurance. For not having a car payment or credit cards that I have to pay on monthly, because if I did, I definitely wouldn't be able to afford $300 per month. I don't know how we're going to do it as it is but I know we wouldn't if we had those other expenses.
Really hoping 2012 is hospital visit free.
3 comments:
I feel you. Three people have to meet deductible on our insurance plan before the family deductible is met. Me: December, Husband: December, DS: January (Thank GOD any deductible met in October, Nov or Dec carry over to next year).
I added it up last week, since Nov. 1st when I found out my thyroid was whacky, we have been billed over 6400.00 dollars. I have about a third of it to pay off. No wonder we have been paycheck to paycheck. Not to mention the credit card debt from the trips out of town, motels, etc.
I am weary and SO ready for 2012 to shape up. (I was in the ER Monday for strep throat - President's day so all offices were closed). Since it's not "life threatening" it won't be co-pay, it will be 10%. UGH!!
New American Standard Bible (©1995)
And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Phil 4:19
Hospital billing is BS. That's all I have to say about that.
Example: Hubby was diagnosed w/ ulcerative colitis (sp?). It was quite the bill for all the procedures leading up to the diagnoses and, at the time, he didn't have insurance and was minimum wage. Still, he made arrangements to make payments every month. After years of making payments on time every month, he was literally a couple days late(he forgot)and they sent him to collections. Really?
Great wedding present to us!
and then the post above with the nastiest painful looking leg bruise pics ever! AH! be careful!!
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