This week, I have recieved all of the medical bills from Payton's surgery (and yes, I am purposely NOT going into detail about the surgery) Total cost: $10 000! (hospital = 6000, doctor= 2500, anesthesia = 1500). That isn't including the $300 we already paid in gas to drive to Boise, and hotels to stay there. Insurance will cover about $6000, and then our tax return should cover the rest. We really thought we would be just fine.
Except... the surgery didn't work. He has to have it re-done in 6 months. So add on another $10 000. If we are lucky, insurance will cover a bit more the second time, maybe $7500. We also now have to make a second trip in March for a check up, and then a third trip in the summer for surgery #2. Thats another $500.
I don't understand it. If I am paying $10 000 for something, shouldn't there be a guarantee of it working?! And if not, shouldn't they have to pay to fix the problem?? She never even told us it may not work. Apparantly in less than 5% of cases it doesn't....but we never knew that!
So now my question is whether I go back to the same Doctor to have it done again, or try a different one? The first one may give us a big discount because she knows we can't afford it, but is it worth it? Plus my insurance has specific doctors that are "in network." She is the only "in network" doctor that can do his surgery, and if I go to an out of network doctor, the insurance won't cover nearly as much.
So...there goes our tax return, plane tickets to go to Nova Scotia this summer, and the money we make from selling puppies, and even still we will be in debt.
UGH, I can't even describe my hate of the American Health Care System right now.
5 comments:
i'm sorry about that. I would think the surgeon would not charge their fee to do it again...but that may not be likely.
ps
careful what you say about the healthcare here! it just happens to be the best in the world.
I am sorry Chelsey! That is super stressful :( What is Canada's healthcare system?
I think you should probably still use the same Dr. I'm sure she'll work hard to get it right this time. Good luck, money is a stressful issue:(
I would go back to the same doctor only for insurance reasons, but you'll have to decide what you guys feel comfortable with. It must be hard adjusting to a new health care system after living with Canada's most of your life, and you seemed to always have had good experiences with it. Let us know if we can help. I know God is mindful of you.
Crazy how life throws things at you that you never planned for...and then it throws all of your carefully made plans right out the window. Good luck.
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