Ugh, health insurance, it is THE DEVIL
May. 16th, 2013 11:56 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
monkey5sToday I was scheduled for another CT scan to check on my navel herniation. The surgeon said the scan I had gotten a week earlier (for the adrenal adenoma) stopped about 2 inches shy of what she needed to see. I had gotten a reminder call yesterday morning about this scan, and we had to do the dance of, "No, I don't need to be there two hours early because it is NOT with the contrast dye," vs. "It says on the order that it IS with the contrast dye."
Later in the afternoon, while I was away from home, I missed a call from pre-admission for the facility. I was puzzled, since I had never gotten such a call for the scan I got two weeks ago. I didn't find the message until they were closed, so I returned it this morning as I was getting up to go in for the scan. And towards the end of that call, I got a shock.
Seems that my insurance won't pay for SQUAT until my deductible out-of-pocket is met- no percentage covered or anything. Deductible is $5000. So, as the pre-admission person was traveling along through her documentation, she told me I was expected to pay $661.14 for the scan today, how did I want to cover that? Oh, and she sees that I also had a scan back on May 2, so that's another $661.14. They take credit or debit cards, or electronic check.
First I told her I had no idea that I owed that. Also, I was going to have to cancel this scan today, because ACK! DEBT I CAN'T COVER RIGHT NOW! They make you call a different number to do that (clearly to avoid the panic cancellation like I was trying), so I called them and that person sent me along to the financial assistance department. They will send out a form for me to fill out, and no, I wasn't expected to pay for anything today, although it would be good if I could put a little down.
I decided to go ahead and get the scan today, since I do need to know if there's a problem with the herniation. It took about five minutes. That's about $132 per minute. Somehow I don't believe any of the people who have to do things regarding the scan get ANYWHERE NEAR that amount of wage.
Later in the afternoon, while I was away from home, I missed a call from pre-admission for the facility. I was puzzled, since I had never gotten such a call for the scan I got two weeks ago. I didn't find the message until they were closed, so I returned it this morning as I was getting up to go in for the scan. And towards the end of that call, I got a shock.
Seems that my insurance won't pay for SQUAT until my deductible out-of-pocket is met- no percentage covered or anything. Deductible is $5000. So, as the pre-admission person was traveling along through her documentation, she told me I was expected to pay $661.14 for the scan today, how did I want to cover that? Oh, and she sees that I also had a scan back on May 2, so that's another $661.14. They take credit or debit cards, or electronic check.
First I told her I had no idea that I owed that. Also, I was going to have to cancel this scan today, because ACK! DEBT I CAN'T COVER RIGHT NOW! They make you call a different number to do that (clearly to avoid the panic cancellation like I was trying), so I called them and that person sent me along to the financial assistance department. They will send out a form for me to fill out, and no, I wasn't expected to pay for anything today, although it would be good if I could put a little down.
I decided to go ahead and get the scan today, since I do need to know if there's a problem with the herniation. It took about five minutes. That's about $132 per minute. Somehow I don't believe any of the people who have to do things regarding the scan get ANYWHERE NEAR that amount of wage.
