It's still being remarkably difficult to find the cost of the procedure, but 20% is a pretty big percentage, and there are two procedures and we're definitely looking at five figures.

I was just reading that crazy lengthy Time article about healthcare costs and was thinking of you- one of the examples was someone who was getting some sort of electronic device implanted, and no one told him the price of it beforehand, and he got totally fuxored, financially, after the procedure. (he had insurance IIRC)

no one told him the price of it beforehand, and he got totally fuxored, financially, after the procedure

Yeah, that poor guy. Basically, everyone was a poor guy in that story.

And why don't we have medical billing advocates on every corner? Because clearly they're needed and nobody knows the business exists!

Seriously, that article was horrifying but very eye-opening. I literally had no idea that I could just call up the hospital and dispute charges on my bill. (I mean, I knew I could do that if, for example, they charged me for a service I didn't actually receive. But it never would have occurred to me to negotiate with them about payment for a procedure that actually happened!)

Yeah, that would totally be me. My doctor said he'd go to the mat in order to make sure insurance pays their bit, and that the hospital doesn't charge me outrageously for the trial, but the truth is I can't afford the real deal if the trial works, and I don't know if the knowledge is worth that first cheque. If this were going to cure my migraines, I might be selling myself on the street corner, but although my neck/shoulder is definitely bad, I'd rather throw small things at it (and argue with insurance about covering them...that's my task right now--the hospital is calling me for money, and I'm trying to get the information I need to appeal the rejected claims for last year's work...I don't want any new, expensive work this year).

I mean, fuck, I pulled up my EOBs for the doctor (thank you, tablet technology), and he couldn't understand what they were referring to without looking at my medical records (SURGERY, ANESTHESIA, ANESTHESIA, ANESTHESIA didn't cover anything he thought he'd done), and once he looked it up his response was "Of course that's what you do for that diagnosis...did a person tell you why they rejected it?"

So, that's on my task list for this week.

I know it's still a new thing and you don't want her to get pissy, which is why I say not blunt

Yeah, I think there'll be a standard lie down inbetween the shots from now on (well, I'm three weeks into a month's prescription--I have to call the social worker to make sure this keeps happening), and I might even see if I can leave the room (she may want to observe me, but fuck--my eyes will close--that's never not good).

But it never would have occurred to me to negotiate with them about payment for a procedure that actually happened!

When I first came to the US, I found a lump in my breast after 2 months here, 1 month before health insurance would start (ask me why I like Canada still...), and I had the second best situation to being rich--the cousin I was living with was a doctor, and she was married to a chief of staff at a decently sized nearby hospital.

All the doctors and nurses worked for free, and it was done under local to avoid the extra anaesthesia costs, so all I had to pay were the hospital fees. And said chief of staff told me to call billing and tell them I was uninsured and paying cash, and ask how would that affect the total bill.

Not how you want to learn stuff, but on the other hand--stuff got learnt.

Nillybaby (held by Nilly)! [link]

NOT ENOUGH AWWWWWW IN THE WORLD

YAY Dana! When does he start?

Things I am tired of:
1) Being tired
2) People asking me to find things that don't exist
3) Realizing yet again that the quarter I just spent on a soda was more than 25% of the cash I have on hand

People asking me to find things that don't exist

Does this mean you can't deliver the purple-striped unicorn I asked for?

At least until the paint and the glue dry

Hmph.

(Psst. You forgot the glitter).