Adventures in the Health Care "System" 2
So today was the follow-up appointment for the leg incident with the general practitioner.
It is rather disconcerting when after you explain what happened to the doctor the comment you get is "well, that's bizarre".
Bottom line? No one has ANY idea why my leg swelled up like that, if it is going to do it again and how to prevent it from doing it again. We've ruled out blood clots. We've hypothesized that it might be related the last knee surgery in 1982 - but the GP this morning thought that was rather unlikely or at the very least rather remote. He thinks it is more likely to be a hyper-allergic reaction to a bug bite/sting. Which might make sense if there was any evidence of such. No bump, itch, hole that I could find and true I didn't look all that closely, I was too busy freaking out.
Adding insult to annoyance, I got a bill from the chiropractor today. Last month I paid the full invoice due of $295 and change. This month I get a bill for over $400. I have CUT BACK on the number of visits per week what the hell gives? So now we have to study it, pull out EOBs and make phone calls when "hello!" I have to be at a conference all day tomorrow and half of Saturday. Something is NOT right. Besides which the HSA has virtually nothing left in it and I still owe the hospital a third of the MRI bill (more than $800) AND God only knows how much last weekend's adventure is going to cost me, the doctor's appointment on Monday, the blood work and today's visit.
This is WITH insurance. Can you imagine what a mess all this would be WITHOUT insurance? I have a good job and make a decent living but I'm strapped.
So since the tingling is gone from my hand and neck is better - although not 100% better - I am going to have to stop going. I don't know how I am going to pay off what I owe them now. When you have a mortgage, student loans, a car payment and daily expenses (gas for the car, food, utilities, etc) how the hell are you supposed to come up with a $5,000 deductible? Costs are out of control.
You see? THIS is why we need health care reform.
It is rather disconcerting when after you explain what happened to the doctor the comment you get is "well, that's bizarre".
Bottom line? No one has ANY idea why my leg swelled up like that, if it is going to do it again and how to prevent it from doing it again. We've ruled out blood clots. We've hypothesized that it might be related the last knee surgery in 1982 - but the GP this morning thought that was rather unlikely or at the very least rather remote. He thinks it is more likely to be a hyper-allergic reaction to a bug bite/sting. Which might make sense if there was any evidence of such. No bump, itch, hole that I could find and true I didn't look all that closely, I was too busy freaking out.
Adding insult to annoyance, I got a bill from the chiropractor today. Last month I paid the full invoice due of $295 and change. This month I get a bill for over $400. I have CUT BACK on the number of visits per week what the hell gives? So now we have to study it, pull out EOBs and make phone calls when "hello!" I have to be at a conference all day tomorrow and half of Saturday. Something is NOT right. Besides which the HSA has virtually nothing left in it and I still owe the hospital a third of the MRI bill (more than $800) AND God only knows how much last weekend's adventure is going to cost me, the doctor's appointment on Monday, the blood work and today's visit.
This is WITH insurance. Can you imagine what a mess all this would be WITHOUT insurance? I have a good job and make a decent living but I'm strapped.
So since the tingling is gone from my hand and neck is better - although not 100% better - I am going to have to stop going. I don't know how I am going to pay off what I owe them now. When you have a mortgage, student loans, a car payment and daily expenses (gas for the car, food, utilities, etc) how the hell are you supposed to come up with a $5,000 deductible? Costs are out of control.
You see? THIS is why we need health care reform.
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