Thursday, June 08, 2006

I'm in the wrong business

I got a call today from the hospital to pre-register me for my ultrasound tomorrow. I guess I thought my health insurance plan covered more because I about choked when I was told how much I would owe. $296.65. That is 50% of the allowable charge which means the test actually costs $593.30. This is for them to rub gel on my abdomen and run a device over it and take pictures. I can't imagine what I would do without insurance. I know the test is necessary because something isn't right about my body, butI just don't know how I'm going to pay for it. I told the lady on the phone that I'd either have to make payments or pay it when I got the chance. I don't even have that much in the bank right now. Although I hope that the issues I'm having turn out to be nothing or at least something insignificant, I do hope I at least get some kind of answers. My luck, I'll spend the money on doctors and tests and they'll tell me that they can't figure out what is wrong with me and we'll just monitor the situation for a while. Perhaps I am in the wrong business, if I were an ultrasound machine sales person or perhaps even someone that sells the gel they use, then I might be making more money than I am now. There was a time that I was on welfare. I received food stamps, WIC cards, AFDC money, and was on medicaid. I made less than $5000 a year. But I lived and had enough food to eat. And when I needed to go see a doctor, I didn't have to pay a dime. I might have been broke, living in place not much bigger than my living room now, but I didn't have to worry about my health. Go figure. Now that I have a college degree and a professional job, it seems that success just doesn't pay. Is it me or is something wrong with this picture?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It is crazy isn’t it? I would be worse off if I got off disability and went back to work with the astronomical costs of my medications. I couldn’t afford $1300 dollars a month in pills. At least with my disability, I have an income plus Medicare insurance as I have a lot of medical bills. Take care of yourself and know that I am thinking about you as you go through this.

Jonathon

Summer said...

It's just not right, the way it all works. Hey, I hope you're ok. Let me know.

Annabel said...

Thanks Jonathon & Summer. I'm fine right now, just waiting for results.