Or at least that is the way the hospital makes one feel.
Apparently, the hospital where my Hubby is going for his hernia repair wants to know they will be paid. Go figure. Why can’t they understand that we are trying to get out of debt and not add to it? Alas, I do get it. They need to be paid and it is our responsibility to see that they are paid.
The first call of the day was from the hospital’s finance department at which point Hubby promptly handed the phone over to me. Yes, I am fully aware of our deductible. No, we cannot pay the entire bill upfront. Yes, please refer me to someone in another cubicle so we can make payment arrangements.
The second call was from the person in the other cubicle calling about making payments. Yes, paying the bill off in 12 months would be difficult. Yes, we can do 18 months at $215 per month. Thankfully this is interest-free. Not great, but still better than taking a chance on the hernia becoming strangulated. As I’ve said before, a hernia is not something that goes away on its own.
I am pretty sure that the second person I spoke with was the same gal who helped me out two years when I was dealing with a broken ankle which also resulted in surgery. I guess one could say with now facing yet another hospital debt, it helps to know the ropes. At that time, we had an even higher deductible and also ended up making payments. Last December, just prior to starting on our journey to get out of debt, the hospital offered a nice discount of $800 or so if we paid the bill off before the end of the year. I’m guessing that even though I was faithfully making the payment, they wanted the debt off their books before the new year. I no longer remember how we pulled it off, but we did manage to scrounge up the money and were able to take advantage of the discounted offer. Who knows, maybe at some point, they will again offer us a similar deal.
The third call was regarding an arrival time of 5:30 AM, which with being almost an hour away from the hospital, is going to make for a very long day. I am still on the fence as to who has it worse, the person getting the surgery or the family member in the waiting area. On the one hand, the person on the table can’t eat or (gasp) have any coffee prior to the procedure, but once under, they are oblivious to their lack of caffeine or the amount of time passing them by. Of course, once awake, they will be dealing with the pain that usually accompanies any surgical procedure, but thanks to the drugs of modern medicine, that too can be helped. On the other hand, the person waiting (me, in this case) can enjoy all the coffee desired (which is all I really care about consuming at that hour of the day!) but are also fully aware of the seemingly endless amount of time passing by. Hmm, the more I think about it, I will stick with the hand holding the coffee! Sorry Hubs, but you are on your own with this one! Coffee wins!
So, with all this being said, we have yet another debt. It could not be helped. Just because we committed to getting out of debt, it doesn’t mean it will all be smooth sailing. It will mean some brainstorming for our budget but like with everything else we have faced, we will get through this as well. Despite what the hospital wants, I still say it needs to be health before debt!
The title of you post scared me for a second. Glad I read it through.:-) Yes, HEALTH before DEBT! Maybe coffee plus a good book will help you pass the time while you wait. Good luck to your husband; hope it’s a quick and easy surgery!
Sorry about that! I didn’t mean to scare you! The hospital does have WiFi, so in addition to a book, I may also bring my pc. I think I’ll eliminate my purse for the day and just carry my pc bag. Thank you for the good wishes.
When my DH has his surgeries, we would get calls the night before the procedure to collect our copay/deductible in full. If we were unable to pay, they’d have to cancel the appointment until “we were ready to pay.” Glad your hospital is much easier to deal with in the finance department!! We’re also adding to our debt, and it’s all medical. But like you say – health before debt!! Waiting on those bills to come in and see what kind of deal they will work out with us.
That is so terrible for it to become all about the almighty dollar. Our hospital hasn’t always had the best reputation, but thankfully they have been willing to work with us when it comes to paying them. I’m sorry you’ve received such a runaround with your health system.
well, that is good they can give you a workable payment plan with no interest. Maybe while you are sitting there drinking all the coffee, you can do some M-Turk stuff and put it towards the bill 🙂 That is an ungodly hour to have to be there. Will be thinking of you and your DH and hoping all goes well!
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I think that is exactly what I will do! Just today, in fact, I transferred enough from my payments account to cover the minimums on two credit cards. Right now with Hubby not working, anything I can do really does help! And yes, that is an ungodly hour to be there! I was very tempted to ask if they had a pickup service. Lol
Wow, we have never had anyone ask for money before except for dentists, and oral surgeons. Our hospital is so good about waiting or giving you a plan with no interest if paid off in a certain time. Yes you are farther in debt but it is necessary debt and that is always with us. You can do this. remember my car and the sprinkler system $2500.00 gone like that.
You were hit hard too with one of these necessary expenses. Sure does bite, but I will not let it me deter me from my goal. Like you, I remain determined!
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