So I'm about to lose my right foot.

According to that 60 Minutes piece, it could be even higher than that. I seem to recall that the piece said that the uninsured could be charged something like 400% more.

And of course, the uninsured are usually the people least able to pay a higher rate.

 

I'm not sure which is more painful: having $80 ripped from your back pocket, or pouring saline solution on your wound. Mind you, I always watch the stitches going in, and usually remove them myself, so feel free to ignore my ramblings.

 

i'm sorry to hear the going has been rough for you lately, TJ. i know leg injuries are a big deal for diabetics, and i sincerely hope you're able to recover from the wound and keep your leg. as for the hospital charges, i can sympathize. while we did have insurance through DH's injuries, it was pretty bad insurance, and going to DH's pain specialist would cost us a lot of money. particularly when they did any kind of procedure, no matter how minor- the hospital charged us for day surgery. i think it's highway robbery that they do this.

we become uninsured again ourselves on saturday, since i can't afford to pay for a month of continuation coverage. i'm technically still a grad student but no longer eligible for the student insurance. go figure.

i'm here hoping for the best for you. i hope you are well soon, TJ.

 

I still have trouble comprehending how absurd the whole US medical system is. It's like they check your wallet before your pulse. Complete and utter insanity.

 

Did the doctor use any of the gear in office that is the hospital's? If not, the hospital billing is bulls**t, and you can contest the billing. If the doctor used the gear once, then likewise, you can contest all of the other billings.

It is a royal pain in the nice person, but it is what it is. I am going through a similar situation with my father's assisted living policy. The insurance company is denying the coverage because they claim that he wasn't hospitalized for a period of 2 days or longer before he went into assisted living.... So, now I have to send a copy of the hospital admission notes that show date of admission and date of discharge that is 7 days between....

Insurance is not so much about providing benefits as it is about denying claims.... And then fighting the claim denial....

 

Well, look at the bright side - the wound is coming along and with the right application of bandages & desiccant (?), you may be able to avoid amputation.... Wouldn't that be a nice bullet to dodge?

Thanks for posting the updates. It helps keep those of us who are concerned about your progress stay in the loop.

 

Never mind insurance - a huge percentage of the health "care" industry seems dedicated to denying medical care, instead of providing it. Imagine how much cheaper and more efficient the system would be if care came first.

Empires usually rot from within, don't they?

 

And the Rs can claim the credit for presiding over the rotting.... But further discussion along these lines might get the thread moved to FHOPol....

 

Not just highway robbery: extortion! Never in my life have I had to discuss the cost of healthcare with a doctor. I had no idea it was such a luxury.

 

It gets even more bizarre - my father (who is diabetic) has periodic low blood sugar episodes. If peanut butter or glucose candy doesn't get the blood sugar back up, the assisted living staff call 911. The paramedics are able to get the blood sugar level up to the 80 to 90 territory, but then they want my father to go to the hospital to be checked over. My father doesn't want to go to the hospital because he is now feeling fine. Because of the one-way trip by the paramedics, the insurance company deems it to not be medically necessary and my father gets a bill for $1,500 each visit by the paramedics. I have been working on him to take the ride to the hospital, but so far, have not been successful. I expect that after a couple more $1,500 bills for paramedic visits, he will get the message that he needs to go for a ride in the ambulance.

 

And that is a very elegant, if painful, illustration of how effing insane it is. I mean, even if you put all the ethical and moral arguments aside, it makes no fiscal sense to be unwilling to pay for someone's bandages when you will have to pay for their prosthetic limb, rehab, or permanent disability payments.

In addition to being morally repugnant, it doesn't even make financial sense. D'oh.

 

So, TJ, that's like $500 a day for a bandaid. Have I got that right? Talk about costing an arm and a leg.

 

My last 6 visits to my doctor were all bulk billed (free to me) because they were follow ups of previous consultations. The first consultation for a new concern costs about $20 out of pocket and all of the remainder is paid by our government health cover (Medicare) not my private health insurance (Medibank Private). I recently got new glasses, they were multi-focal transition tinted and cost me $185 out of pocket but total cost was well over $300. If I got single focus lenses in a budget frame I could have had the whole bill picked up by my private insurance. My private insurance costs me about $2000 a year, the Medicare levy is about $1800 for my family income, it is a percentage of income. People on low incomes pay nothing, people on higher incomes without private cover pay a 1% additional levy. I got hit with this for 12 months 2 years ago when I stuffed up my health insurance.
If I had a critical injury I would be seen in a public hospital very quickly for free. If I want elective surgery I might have to wait a few months depending on demand.

Why does the USA have such an unfair health system? Home of the brave for sure!

 

Our Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has just announced there is going to be an overhaul of our Health System. I hope he isn't going to go the way of USA.