Ugh! I am a broken record. I know. But I am pissed and sad. Truly a crisis. And I am immune … sort of … and I feel guilty. I am a HAVE not a have not.
Here is what went down. Thoughts free-flowing as they come to me.
B has no steady job. He was “off” today. I left for work like usual and barely into my day, he calls me. He is easily bored or so I assumed that was why he was calling. Tells me hey we got work again starting next Monday. Me “oh honey, that’s good” all while thinking I guess self employment is ebb and flow/feast or famine. I need to chill. I vaguely remember those three years.
B – don’t know what I will do until then but I want you to know so you can stop worrying. Plus V is going to resubmit those two invoices and we’ll get paid. (oh yeah, that too … having to hunt down people to get paid. I blocked that out completely).
Me – Good. You should have your colonoscopy. I am taking off Friday already. You need to do this now. You can no longer afford not to take what you get work-wise when you get it. Your off. I’m off. I’ll see if they can get you in.
B – yep I know. Okay.
And as luck would have it, Thursday is open. Now I am taking off Thursday and Friday. But not without going through a whirlwind first.
While filling out paperwork in online portals, I notice the patient responsibility is $2300. WTF. Mine from February 2018 was free. Did the price really shoot up that much?!?? I called our carrier and sure enough no age or time limit. A perk from my employer in negotiating costs of colonoscopies. She compared billing codes and said B’s too is covered in full. Insurance offered 3-way call with provider. Fun times I tell ya. Provider says this is medical not preventative. Medical with a $2700 deductible, the $2300 is our responsibility.
Okay. What the what?!?!? this is medical … yes a medical procedure but not required due to a medical reason. If B had it his way, he’d never go back. He got the appointment reminder last week … for a routine exam … because it was time. He was not seeing the doctor for symptoms that needed to be diagnosed. All that is semantics folks. Fucking circular illogical. To-MAY-to. Tu-mah-to.
Anyhow, we are all squared away. They will bill the insurance first. On a recorded call, the insurance confirmed they will pay. Though we are getting annoying texts that we owe provider. Uh no, talk to Cassie. She agreed to BILL THE INSURANCE FIRST!!
So why am I sad? well fuck. if I (or anyone else) needed this exam because I was sick, I’d pay out the ass – pun intended. And while maybe preventative should be less expensive than treatment, a diagnostic test is a fucking diagnostic test. The rate should be the SAME!! Then if treatment is needed bill for that. Fucking vultures preying on the weak and infirmed.
As always, more to come.
J-Dub's Grin and Bear It 