Wednesday, October 29, 2014

A day at a time!



My hip surgery was on June 11th and I’m still getting random EOB’s from my health insurance.  The one we received for the surgery was $43,000 which they negotiated to twenty something thousand.  We received another EOB yesterday for the rental of the compression machine.  We had the machine for about 6 days and they billed the insurance company $3,000.  My insurance company does not pay for durable medical equipment and so I’m waiting to see if we are going to be billed for the $3,000 which seems very exorbitant for a 6 day rental fee.  After all I didn’t BUY the machine.  Even though I have a secondary insurance through Ron’s employer they will not pay either since the claim was denied by my primary insurer.   What a maze to fight through.  So frustrating!

My knee is feeling better.  I guess the compound medication is working.  I can walk further and am having less pain and stiffness in the morning.  It took about two weeks before I began noticing any difference.  Too bad insurance won’t pay for the medication.

We attended a meeting on United Healthcare Advantage plans last week.  It was informative.  I signed Mike up for a 0 premium plan that will at least give us a backup to his Indian health coverage.  The plan will also pay for his Silver Sneakers class at the gym.  That will save him $40.00/month just on that alone.  And on his limited income that is a good deal!

Finally my older brother is receiving some help with my niece.  She has been hospitalized for the past 3 weeks and they are going to try a program where someone will go to her apartment every day to administer her medication.  Because she has been non-compliant in taking her meds she had another psychotic break.  If this plan doesn’t work her psychiatrist has recommended she go to a group home.  My brother said she can’t go because she would have to break her lease.  I said, “So what”!   They can’t get blood out of a turnip.  She would probably lose her deposit but she’ll lose it anyway because she has destroyed the place but they can’t hold her to the lease.  She’s mentally ill and she doesn’t have any money to get.   She says she wants to go to a group home because she can’t take care of herself.  It really would probably be the best thing for her and my brother.

Life is hard sometimes.  It’s just the way things are.  We just have to take each day as it comes.

2 comments:

Tom said...

Isn't it a killer -- just when you're sick or injured, and not feeling your best, that's when you have to fight your way through the maze of medical bills. Good luck with all that -- and with your hip ... and esp. with your niece.

oklhdan said...

Thanks Tom...My hip is doing great and the company that rented us the compression machine said they will just write it off. Good for us but it is another example of why healthcare coverage is so high.