The medical bills are coming in. I've only received three of them, but believe me, they got my attention. I know personal finances should remain personal, but I want some sympathy here. So here goes. The grand total so far is $56,883.75. Yes, I feel another heart attack coming on.
In the itemized section of the hospital bill it lists "Invasive Cardiology" and its cost at $39,532.32. What is that all about? Are stents that expensive? My cardiologist already billed me for placing them in my heart. I didn't get a real good look at the room I was in for the procedure, but I do know it wasn't along the lines of the Ritz Carlton. Besides, room and board appears on its own line.
Pharmacy alone was over $3,000. If I wasn't a drug addict when I entered the hospital I must be now. Using $3,000 in drugs during a four-day period sounds like a serious problem to me.
Now the good news. Since I am self-pay, which means I have no insurance coverage, all the parties involved have reduced my bill to around $36,000. It's a significant drop, but I'll still need to sell my house and my soul to meet the bills. May I remind you, I'm still paying on a hospital stay and surgery that I had almost two years ago.
All of this brings me to this question: why would anyone send bills of this magnitude to a heart attack victim? The shock factor is enough to send anyone into cardiac arrest. Shouldn't some illnesses be treated for free since the patient is too fragile to even open the envelope, let alone look at the bottom line on a bill? Have we become that insensitive to the health needs of our American citizens?
Shame on you - hospitals, doctors, radiologists - for saving a heart attack victim, only to push her into having another one.
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3 comments:
I agree. They're sick!
I think you should let the hospital and doctors in Galveston know how these people are taking better care of your expenses.
Just remember, they can't get blood out of a turnip. They will just have to wait their turn. Too bad you weren't in Pensacola (on our car lot's street).....FREE>>>>, actually I think they get paid for going..
I am so bad...
Take it easy BB, you can only do what you can do. Feel good knowing anytime you give them something, it's from the HEART (cute huh???)
LOL Peggy! We had to stop paying on Mike's bill(s) from his rotator cuff surgery from last October because we just don't have the money. Although it wasn't quite your amount, I hear ya.
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