Dieseldude4x4

Sitting here figuring what I can do with the OT money I will get over the next five weeks expecting about $4500 or so. Guess what, BAM, just got a bill in from Obici Hospital for $4200 for the wifes stay and thats after BCBS already paid some.
Anyone else have this kinda luck?
Never fails.

Shovelhead

Look on the bright side......
Beats having to sell something to pay it off.

crobtex

A few years back I won $2574 on the lottery....before I could spend it, I got my IRS tax bill for $2200. I didn't gain much, but I didn't have to shell it out of my pocket.

Look on the bright side. The wifey is better and no $$$ out of pocket. Just some time spent at your favorite place (?).

Dieseldude4x4

OOPS, that $4200 is coming out of my pocket.

edwinsmith

Talk to the hospital billing people. They might give you a nice low or no interest payment plan if you plead poverty.

One time when I had an emergency overnight stay my company paid my deductible cause they are such nice people. I still wish I had that job.

Edwin

PanteraGSTK

I know how you feel. Every time I get extra money and look at new toys to buy something happens to "balance" everything out. I'm gonna hae to rob a bank to have extra money. I don't even know what extra money feels like. At least your wife's OK. As monty python says "allways look on the bright side"

BigBlue

I know the feeling. Just like pantera, as soon as I get a little extra spending money something pops up and kills it. Gotta love life's little twists.

edwinsmith

I don't want to sound to critical because I'm as big a sinner as anyone else but so many people get sucked into the immediate gratification lifestyle and wind up paying half of their after tax half of their income to the finance companies.

I finally had to realize that's not the way to prosper. I threw away all my credit cards and only use debit cards. Aside from property taxes, utilities and the single payment for my home I have no debt. In fact my brother owes ME money because he still has the "Gotta have it NOW" addiction.

If I have the cash and it fits in my budget I can buy it otherwise I wait. I have saved several thousand dollars in gold and silver the price of which are going crazy now.



Just bragging.

Edwin

BigBlue

Ya but that's not anywhere near as much fun.

midwestdually

i also only use a debit card now.... still paying on the C cards but not going deeper

gsdog1

I would start by calling the insurance company and talking with someone who can talk you through what was covered, and more importantly what wasn't and why.

Then get the hospital on the horn. Sometimes they will "forgive" what isn't considered "normal and customary charges" by your insurance company.

I found this out the hard way myself, after the fact. Talk about a poor negotiating position. The money was significant, but I found through talking with everyone involved that the hospital / doctor let what wasn't covered go.

Worth a few phone calls perhaps. Good luck.

Shovelhead

Had a similar experience in '96.
Wifey's son had a very lengthy hospital stay before passing from leukemia in '95.
A year after his passing, the hospital send a bill for nearly $300,000 that they said the insurance wouldn't cover.
She ended up fighting with the insurance company for nearly a year via phone, faxes and letters.
Finally the insurance company agreed that they should have covered all those expenses in the first place.


Health Insurance companies today seem to be working on the "Deny everything, Make them fight to be covered" policy.

Dieseldude4x4

They've probably forgiven all they will. The total bill was like $26000.

hamilton71801

Pay them $10 a month and then hope that at the end of the year they will right off the remaining balance. We have had a lot of experience with hospitals. My wife HAD brain cancer and she did the surgery, radiation, and chemo. BCBS paid great but there was still a lot unpaid between the pharmacies and all the different hospitals and doctors. One thing I did learn is that if the collection company or whoever refuses your $10 payment because they say it's not good enough, then you don't have to pay them anything. When they call now demanding more money I just laugh and tell them to get in line. They will get all of the money owed, it just might take some time.

Dieseldude4x4

I believe in paying my bills for services rendered. It was just that I had siding and a few other building materials planned for that money. Oh well, easy come easy go. There will be another outage in the fall.