Medical procedures are NOT vacation

[knightfan26917]

Within the last few weeks, I've received communication (to put it mildly) from the local hospital that did the surgery to remove my gallbladder IN 2005.

The first letter I received indicated that they had sent my bill to a collection agency for failure to pay. I combed through all of my medical bills/records ... and found NO EOB from my then insurance company, nor did I find any bills/communication from the hospital. So, I called and told them that I wanted an itemized bill. "It's on the way", so I was told.

Then, the week I was at home after the pacemaker replacement surgery, I received ANOTHER letter from them. This time, it indicated that they "had not been able to reach me by phone" to advise me that I still needed to pay the bill. I called them again ... and got the same "it's on the way" story about the itemized bill. I will NOT pay this until I get that bill, despite what any collection agency threatens.

*sighs*

Guess I'm just sick'n'tired of being sick. No, not in the "I have a cold or cough" way ... but in the "I have a heart condition" way. Those of us who have health issues (heart or otherwise) pay for it many times over.

First ... we have the issue in the first place ... and have to deal with it ... ALL OF OUR LIVES.

Second ... medical bills ... and threats of collection agencies ... and red tape ... and so-called insurance. Need I type more?

Third ... lost vacation and sick time for procedures. Company policies (most companies, anyway) state that sick and vacation time MUST be taken right from the beginning for ANY medical issue, such that when you come back ... you don't have much time (if any at all, depending on the policy in place) to actually ENJOY life outside of work. I'm sorry, but I can guarantee without a shadow of a doubt that, when I'm out for heart surgery or pacemaker replacement surgery, it is DEFINITELY, MOST CERTAINLY _NOT_ (I, REPEAT, NOT) VACATION ... of ANY sort.

*grumbles*

I better stop there....

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"There was a time I was a true believer" ... Jennifer Warnes ... 'I Know A Heartache When I See One'

[Dsuupr]

I'm so glad my wife works for UPS. My open heart surgery was over $70,000. Thanks to UPS we only paid $100. If you include ALL of my medication, my kidney stone issue, 3 ambulance rides, etc, the total came to less than $200.

[daves87rs]

I'm so glad my wife works for UPS. My open heart surgery was over $70,000. Thanks to UPS we only paid $100. If you include ALL of my medication, my kidney stone issue, 3 ambulance rides, etc, the total came to less than $200.

Wow. That's not bad.....

I'm still paying from our last trip from the ER....

[daves87rs]

I'd have to agree with you knightfan...I never understood the take vacation thing...when it is out of your control-time off should not suffer.....you might be better in body, but the soul still needs that time off...

A friend of mine was in a nasty car accident a few years ago, but I thought his job took good care of him...

They paid him while in the hospital...and when he got home-they let him work from home....

And the biggest suprise of all was the fact that his bosses and co-workers put a few bucks together to send him on a weeks vacation....and still gave him all of the days off he had planned...

Needless to say-he is still there.

Very rare, but it does happen...

[knightfan26917]

I'm so glad my wife works for UPS. My open heart surgery was over $70,000. Thanks to UPS we only paid $100. If you include ALL of my medication, my kidney stone issue, 3 ambulance rides, etc, the total came to less than $200.

Holy crap is that nice. Heh ... I wasn't that lucky in regards to the bills ... on any of my surgeries .

I knew when I posted about this topic on this and other boards (even some of my car-related groups) that I'm not alone in these feelings/experiences. I hope I didn't offend anyone by "venting" about this ... because I know people endure far worse things in life, but ... my goodness. We're taught to make life FUN and INTERESTING ... and, quite frankly, having to deal with the health issues and everything that is involved with that (loss of vacation, bill payments, etc.) is NOT, I repeat, NOT fun.

*shrugs*

Sure wish we could form an "action group" of sorts to get companies to change their vacation/sick policies with regard to surgeries, etc. ... and maybe drive some other changes as well.....

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I'm sick & tired of being politically correct" ... John Mellencamp ... 'Peaceful World'

[balthazar]

I had relatively minor surgery in the summer of '05- I was out 6 weeks and got paid nothing because I am self-employeed. Procedure cost about $15K; insurance paid all but about $1K, IIRC. The billing part went fine.

Post-surgery was not fun, recovery in bed for a week was not fun- tho I caught up on sleep for the first time that I can remember. At this point it's done & over with (it was a 'repair' job, not a health issue), but it doesn't compare to life-long issues at all. Take it easy you guys.

[Intrepidation]

I've always found it immoral that you have to pay money to have your life saved. If you can't pay, you die. Sure, the doctors and hospital staff need to make a living, but how could you turn someone who is ill away because they can't pay for it? Then again what would the solution be? Have the government pay for it?

[the_yellow_dart]

I've always found it immoral that you have to pay money to have your life saved. If you can't pay, you die. Sure, the doctors and hospital staff need to make a living, but how could you turn someone who is ill away because they can't pay for it? Then again what would the solution be? Have the government pay for it?

That's what Canada does. I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Intrepidation]

That's what Canada does. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Sadly our country is run by idiots. It's the American way.

[Satty]

Sadly our country is run by idiots. It's the American way.

They are democratically elected......

[Intrepidation]

They are democratically elected......

If you call the 2000 elections fair. Plus I blame the south for re-electing Bush. Then again, Kerry wasn't so great either(but at least he can for sentences). Bush thanked them proper by not helping them quickly after the hurricanes hit.

[Satty]

How much has the Iraq war cost? How many life saving operations could that money have been used for?

2000 wasn't exactly fair, but he did get the popular vote in '04, remember it was a "mandate from god."

[knightfan26917]

*frowns*

A political debate? Wonderful. So, not what I had in mind, since I hadn't wanted to offend anyone.............

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"What do you mean how could I do this to you?" ... Juice Newton ... 'Old Flame'

[CARBIZ]

Sadly, it is almost impossible to avoid a political debate when it comes to people's health. Canada's system is in ruins (eating up enormous amounts of our GDP with longer and longer wait times) and it is scandalous that in the richest country in the world (America, in case you didn't know) there are people who have no medical coverage.

Somewhere in the middle is a system that would work.

I was given a prescription recently that cost $600 for one bottle of liquid that would last me 3 weeks. I was damned glad my drug plan at work covered that!

[knightfan26917]

I was given a prescription recently that cost $600 for one bottle of liquid that would last me 3 weeks. I was damned glad my drug plan at work covered that!

Holy cow ... covered that entire amount? Yeah, I'd say you're lucky on that one!

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Look what you've done" ... Restless Heart ... 'Fast Movin' Train'

[ellives]

Holy cow ... covered that entire amount? Yeah, I'd say you're lucky on that one!

Cort:33swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve.pacemaker

PICS:lego.HO.model.MCinfo.RT.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Look what you've done" ... Restless Heart ... 'Fast Movin' Train'

That's priced by the drug companies that Bush helped insulate from competition by passing Medicare part D. I'm counting the days until the '08 election so we can sweep the rest of those criminal Republicans out of office. Yeah I'm talking about YOU Sununu and Gregg from New Hampshire!