Healthcare USA #1

[cassette]

@suzzer99

Update on my anesthesia for colonoscopy/endoscopy that my insurance wouldn’t cover.

I’ve gotten several bills since with tons of line items, can’t tell if the anesthesia is in there or not - most are something like $10k+ of charges (20+ indecipherable line items), ~$7k of discounts, insurance pays $3564, I pay $18. The company my Dr. referred me to for the colonoscopy, the primary doctor there who did the actual procedure, the anesthesiologist, and the hospital all seem to bill separately.

I told the doctor I see at the colonoscopy company (who is different than the Dr. who does the procedure) about the anesthesia. She said they’d appeal and say that the endoscopy tube was good enough reason for full sleep vs sleepy (which the ins. co says is sufficient).

The colonoscopy company wants to arrange another endoscopy to see if the prilosec is working. Naturally I ask about the anesthesia charge and can we clear that up before the procedure this time.

30 minute Kafka-esque conversation ensues:

• No one knows how much the anesthesia actually cost. $350 was just the hospital’s estimate after calling the hospital and them needing to do a lengthy investigation to determine the price. Probably had to check my income first or something.
• No one knows if I’ve been billed yet.
• No one knows if the insurance company actually paid or not (assuming no since they sent me the letter).
• No one knows if the first charge was ever appealed.
• No one knows if the hospital even offers “sleepy”.
• No one knows how much sleepy costs, or if insurance would at least cover the amount sleepy costs and I pay the difference. Seems like a straightforward question but it’s like talking calculus to a family pet.

Now multiply this times a billion for someone already weakened and stressed out from fighting bone cancer - arguing over life-ruining money while literally fighting for their life. JFC

The colonoscopy place has a bank of a dozen girls who talk to patients about bills but mostly work the phones all day. Such efficiency.

[anon38180840]

@cassette

@suzzer99

Update on my anesthesia for colonoscopy/endoscopy that my insurance wouldn’t cover.

I’ve gotten several bills since with tons of line items, can’t tell if the anesthesia is in there or not - most are something like $10k+ of charges (20+ indecipherable line items), ~$7k of discounts, insurance pays $3564, I pay $18. The company my Dr. referred me to for the colonoscopy, the primary doctor there who did the actual procedure, the anesthesiologist, and the hospital all seem to bill separately.

I told the doctor I see at the colonoscopy company (who is different than the Dr. who does the procedure) about the anesthesia. She said they’d appeal and say that the endoscopy tube was good enough reason for full sleep vs sleepy (which the ins. co says is sufficient).

The colonoscopy company wants to arrange another endoscopy to see if the prilosec is working. Naturally I ask about the anesthesia charge and can we clear that up before the procedure this time.

30 minute Kafka-esque conversation ensues:

• No one knows how much the anesthesia actually cost. $350 was just the hospital’s estimate after calling the hospital and them needing to do a lengthy investigation to determine the price. Probably had to check my income first or something.
• No one knows if I’ve been billed yet.
• No one knows if the insurance company actually paid or not (assuming no since they sent me the letter).
• No one knows if the first charge was ever appealed.
• No one knows if the hospital even offers “sleepy”.
• No one knows how much sleepy costs, or if insurance would at least cover the amount sleepy costs and I pay the difference. Seems like a straightforward question but it’s like talking calculus to a family pet.

Now multiply this times a billion for someone already weakened and stressed out from fighting bone cancer - arguing over life-ruining money while literally fighting for their life. JFC

The colonoscopy place has a bank of a dozen girls who talk to patients about bills but mostly work the phones all day. Such efficiency.

Yeah but I bet in Canada the richest people actually pay 29%. Here the richest people “pay” 35%.

[suzzer99]

https://twitter.com/LeftHandOfCat/status/1170438476715610112

[hobbes9324]

Somewhere I have the bill for my delivery in a small hospital in Wisconsin in 1955. $17.00 including an overnight stay.

MM MD

[Smacc_25]

https://mobile.twitter.com/IbrahimAS97/status/1170728814558818306

[suzzer99]

[Smacc_25]

https://mobile.twitter.com/bern_identity/status/1163583220870336512

[Smacc_25]

https://mobile.twitter.com/ddiamond/status/1155668998182318081

[anon92450360]

Rahm is trash

[Lawnmower_Man]

A CAPITALIST

rimshot

[Riverman]

Why aren’t spoiled lazy millennials having kids?

[eyebooger]

“Don’t have kids until you can afford them”

Millennials are taking that advice.

[boredsocial]

I’m 34 and my wife is 29. No kids yet. I’m comfortably in the top 1% of my age group for income and I don’t feel like we can afford kids yet. I’ll admit to being a pretty big nit, but I think our situation is pretty telling. It’s as much about being able to afford the time commitment to do it right as it is about money.

I’ll admit that if in September 2018 I had a crystal ball we probably would have done it this year just because of all the unexpected free time.

[anon92450360]

@eyebooger

“Don’t have kids until you can afford them”

Millennials are taking that advice.

This advice is forever green. It’s still also true that “If you wait for the perfect time to have a child, you will never have one.”

[boredsocial]

I agree to a point. I think the choice not to have kids up to this point is one of the primary causes of why we’re doing as well as we’re doing. I think our future kids will be drastically better off because of our choice to delay starting our family as long as possible.

A huge part of this is just that clawing your way out of poverty as a millennial is a 10+ year process.

[Riverman]

Baby boomers are just the absolute worst.

Take advantage of a perfect storm of economic good fortune then selfishly rig the game even more in their own favor to the detriment of their kids. Then gaslight said kids by saying they should work harder and stop complaining, or something, while on a personal level using their hoarded riches to try to manipulate and control their children’s personal choices.

Fuck off, boomers. Here’s to nobody being by your collective side as you die off.

[boredsocial]

They really are in for a rude awakening when they discover that the people who promised them a comfortable retirement were other Boomers… and that Boomers aren’t very good at keeping their commitments lol.

We certainly won’t be bailing them out once we’re the largest voting block. If they want that money they’re going to have to find it in the pockets of other Boomers. We don’t have any money lol.

[Lawnmower_Man]

I’m comfortably in the top 1% of my age group for income and I don’t feel like we can afford kids yet.

C’mon now.

[otatop]

@boredsocial

If they want that money they’re going to have to find it in the pockets of other Boomers.

Deficits won’t matter once we have to go into trillions of debt to pay for boomer medical care.

[cassette]

@boredsocial

I’m 34 and my wife is 29. No kids yet. I’m comfortably in the top 1% of my age group for income and I don’t feel like we can afford kids yet. I’ll admit to being a pretty big nit, but I think our situation is pretty telling. It’s as much about being able to afford the time commitment to do it right as it is about money.

I’ll admit that if in September 2018 I had a crystal ball we probably would have done it this year just because of all the unexpected free time.

Don’t underestimate the importance of having energy when you’re young. Every year going forward you will be more tired than the last. Sure, money matters, and having time matters (though less; you’ll make time), but so does having the energy of youth.