So you remeber I told you I had fell, the ambulance took me to the hospital, all to find out I was anemic. Well I don't have any insurance.

I have now gotten 3 bills

#1 hospital bill which was $1,100 but they brought it down to $700
#2 Physician bill $450
#3 Emergency vehicle bill $715...... $80 of it was just for mileage. They didn't even drive me that far. And then $635 was for the rest, which they didn't do much, but a little iv thing in my arm, and checked my blood pressure. I didn't even want to go to the hospital, but they kept telling me I should.

So I owe about $2,000 for them to tell me I'm anemic. This stinks. And it wouldn't of happeend if I wouldn't of stepped in that stupid pot hole, and been on my period for freaking 3 weeks. UGh!!!!!!!!!

That is so very true, all of it.

Tiff, one of my big gripes is that I believe healthcare costs are way over inflated, no wonder most of us cannot afford healthcare and dental. I'm sorry you have such high bills but, I'm glad you are indeed ok. And about the pothole, you don't know that, something else could have triggered this episode if you didn't fall.

When hubby and I end up having an unplanned medical expense I get a tad cranky too.  But then I thank my lucky stars that we're all healthy, alive, and well.  I think about the families who have really sick children or a spouse who require constant visits to the doctor, medical care, etc.  It really could be worse.

Did you have to call for an ambulance?  Just wondering because I would have just driven myself or had someone take me for a sprained ankle.  Those ambulance rides are expensive if it isn't an emergency.

Wow thats putting me into perspective. I know I whine so much. lol. I just need to thank God, Kailey has been so healthy, only had to go to the hospital once, and shes 5. That was when she had a really high fever, when she was a baby. She's only had to go to the doctors once or twice a year.
Rocky and I have pretty much been real healthy. So I guess I should count my blessings. And figure out how to get medical insurance. I did fill out FL kid care for kailey. WE have to send a bunch of papers in. Thats the thing I hate, it's hard finding all that stuff. Rocky keeps all his papers in one big stack, and won't let me touch it.
BTW I think I messed up on the fl kid care appl. IT said something about earned income. And I didn't know what that meant, So I put no. Went on to the next question. Well when I was done with the application. I kept thinking about it. I asked my mom what earned income meant. She said it was like tips. So I guess I lied on the application. I kept trying to go back to change it, but it wouldn't let me. I'm going to try to call the number on there tommorrow. OR I guess they will see it, when we send the papers in, because some of that money is on our tax thing.

When I had my appendix removed in 99' I almost died when I got the bill also ~ over $11,000!  I asked the doctor if I had died on the table and he had to bring me back or something.  He couldn't believe that it was that much.  He told me his fee was a flat $1000 and to ask for an audit.  When I got the audit back it had went up to $13,000 but they left it at $11,000 because they were so nice.  Yeah right, they just wanted me to shut up! 

Took us FOREVER to pay that one off!  Every income tax refund went to Madisonville for my appendix for years!

The costs are so high, because they are recouping their losses--people who don't pay their bills or can't and people who abuse their health insurance plans.  My husband works with a guy that runs to the doctor's for everything.  Co-pays make it even more tempting to run for every sniffle.  A couple of weeks ago, he ran to the emergency room to have a bunyon cut off!     Then, because of these idiots, we have to pay more and more every year for coverage and insurance pays out less and less every year to pay expenses.

I get irritable with the high fees as well.  I mean, $6 for a band-aid!  C'mon!  That's not right by any means.  And what about the insane expenses for diagnostic machines/tests?  Insurances want to screw people over by saying they don't need that specific test because they don't want to have to pay for one to have the test...because it's expensive!  If going to the doctor or ER were more affordable more people would be paying their doctor bills.  Same way with buying health insurance. 

Ugh.  Now I'm grouchy. 

Don't forget one of the reason we all pay more is because the insurance is so high for hospitals and doctors. Why is insurance so high? It's because of all the people that sue the doctors and hospitals. Some people have legitimate cases but so many more don't. But even if the lawsuit is frivolous they still have to hire lawyers to defend the case.

Hopefully Rocky lets you touch his "important" papers so you can fill out the forms correctly and maybe get Kailey medicaid or whatever it's called in FL.  You won't have to deal with excessive doctor bills then.  Good luck!

When Momma died it was like a shock treatment.  It happened so fast that we really didn't realize what had happened until we sort of compared notes at the house.  When we all got thinking about it it was really easy to see that she had been mistreated.  Daddy had went so far as to make an appointment with her doctor the morning that she passed away and told him that he was killing her or his lack of care was killing her.

Momma died at around 3:00PM or so if you go by the first code.  The doctor knowing that Daddy had already been in to see him earlier that morning kept her alive for another 12 hours on a ventilator.  Why?  To cover his butt.  He sat a nurse right outside her door and she sat there and went over everything they had written down in the files.  What did the doctor do?  He came out looked us in the eyes and told us that Momma was going to be just fine.  He would have her up and walking around again in no time.  We WANTED to believe him.  It was easier than the truth that was staring us right in the face.

Could we have opened a lawsuit ~ probably.  Did we?  No!  Once we were able to think somewhat clearheaded about what had happened we knew that there wouldn't have been any real evidence in the records anymore.  Daddy talked to his friend that is a lawyer and he told Daddy that if we decided to sue that he would help.  Once we talked about it we decided that it wasn't going to change things one way or the other.  The only thing that was changed was our lives and that a lawsuit couldn't have fixed those.  I'm sure the doctor had no problems  laying down his head and going to sleep at night...that to me is a bad doctor also and I hope I never have to deal with one like that again!

Don't worry ~ you both are worth it!  I am so glad that he is feeling so much better.  I can't imagine hearing my heartbeat for that long ~ that drives me insane.  Ear problems are one of the things that can drive a person batty period...I hate that he had to go through that.

My nephrologist is what ever doctor should aspire to be IMO.  The first time I went in, he was with me for over 2 hours, and every time I go in now he stays in the room with me for at least an hour.  He actually talks to me and listens to what I am saying.  He tells me that there is no detail to small for him to listen to (he is very 'House' like in that way), but he is never in a rush.  I wish he could be my Primary Care doctor.  He makes the big bucks, but it is well worth it!  The way I figure it my PCD gets $75-$90 for less than 5 minutes in the room with me on average.  Dr. Sobel charges $500.00 per office visit I believe ~ a bargin compared to my other doctors prices.  I only pay $15.00 to either because of insurance.