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Discounted the medical bill

September 24th, 2008 at 01:31 am

Today I called the hospital where I had my bone denisty test done. It was not covered by insurance. Of course....duh!!!!So I owed around $900 for this test. They keep billing me. I have learned my lesson....forgo everything medical unless valid. Stick to home made remedies for as along as possible. This test is not valid or needed at age 40 something. Well sorry that is def. out of my league to pay it. So I finally called and they said I could repay it in 6 easy equal installments or I could slap it on my credit card and get a 20% off the cost. So I did that. Slapped it on the credit card. So a good lesson learned. First listen to your DR but def. pick and choose stuff you want done....remember these doctors are loaded and money is no object to them. Think of it as a salad bar...remember those?? Pick and choose what you want! Do you like carrots and not onions...well pick and choose! Second ask for discounts and work out deals. Bargain with them like you are at the garage sale down the street. Ridiculous and highway robbery.....I just can not understand how average people can truly make it. God forbid I get very sick....Everything is so overpriced.
Plus I never ever heard how my test went way back in June....oh yes..thanks. Hope my bones are well and fine and most of all...dandy.


Found out I have a heck of alot of credit card rewards. Enough to pay for Christmas. So there is my Christmas....
I will call in October and request my money. So simple---yet such a silly game.

My girls are at dad's soon..I do not have to cook dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Sunday we are all going to a school cookout...so no dinner on Sunday! I can eat cheap..cheap...cheap!

Bought more homecoming do dads. Booked a hair apt. and ordered a wrist corsage. WOW it sure adds up. I keep telling myself this is a memory. It actaully is fun to pick out dress up stuff as I never dress up or go anywhere remotely dressy in style. So I have enjoyed picking out fancy things. She does look really grown up....it is really scary how mature she looks for her age.

Payday is Friday I can not wait. I love to see that money in my hand and then sadly I watch it disappear!

My ex is a commercial mortgag broker owning his own company. I had the thought today that God forbid my ex's business went belly up!!! Part of the divorce was that he have insurance to cover calamity so that I would still get my spousal support. That made me get a nervous feeling. Hopefully he is above board and things are ok with his business. One never knows. How scary for me.

2 Responses to “Discounted the medical bill”

  1. fern Says:
    1222283766

    You do need to take responsiblity for your own medical care. But maybe instead of saying the lesson you learned was to defer everything medical unles valid (by which i think you mean, absolutely necessary), it might be better to say, the lesson i learned is to ask the cost of everything first. In other words, you shouldn't jeopardize your own health, at least not without getting the full facts so you can objectively evaluate the cost and risks of non-action.

    I don't think you should be blaming the doctors for the high cost of your bills, though. Due to the way our healthcare system works, the doctor's income is dictated by the insurance companies, who declare a given reimbursement rate for a given procedure, take it or leave it. That's why doctors usually schedule appts. very close together becus they have to make their money through volume of patients seen.

    And that's why the doctors who can make a killing are doing so becus they bypass the insurance industry completely, for intance, when a dermatologist focuses on cosmetic surgery or similar procedures that are considered electtive and thus not covered by insurance. They can set their own rates and get paid much more quickly without having to jump thru insurers' hoops. And most patients don't realize, like you do, that you can negotiate the price.

  2. fern Says:
    1222284053

    I've also heard of a few practices that operate on a cash only basis, again, bypassing the insurance industry entirely. Here in wealthy CT, those who can afford to pay this way do so becus they gain immediate access to their doctor when they want it. The way it works is kind of like, you buy a share in your physician for (nearly) unlimited office visits which guarantees that if you want to call him at 8 pm at night to discuss your little bunion, you can do so. The doctors love it becus they can't stand working with the insurance companies and those with $$ love it too becus they're getting premium care and attention.

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