I am angry this morning.

I haven't used nicotine since June 5th of this year.

I have had difficulty swallowing for a couple of weeks, but it got very bad last week. I had a bite of cooked white rice stuck in my esophagus for about ten minutes and it would not go down.

So I went to a digestive disease specialist yesterday and they wanted to do an endoscopy to see what was wrong. I scheduled it for this Friday.

This morning, I get a call that I still have well over a thousand dollars deductible remaining on my insurance that I will have to pay to get the procedure done.
One of the 7 warning signs of cancer, and I have to pay over a thousand dollars out of my pocket to let them look at it.

I work for a living and have medical insurance.

My shiftless ex-wife works part time when it suits her, is going to school on the government's dime... and she is in the hospital all the time getting things done ( like a hysterectomy, for one) and she has no bills to pay.... She doesn't have any insurance.

I am getting sick of trying.

a reply to: butcherguy

Americans need to forget about racism and guns for awhile and fight for health care. There's no reason you should all have to pay so much for health care.

a reply to: butcherguy

I haven't used nicotine since June 5th of this year.

You been using nicotine as an escape to cover up the real you. Now the cover is blown, welcome to the real you.

It will be alright, they are just feelings, everyone has them and they will pass. Better to suffer anger depression regret for a little while, or go back to that horrid habit?

Remember where you came from and how you got here...

grunt it out.

a reply to: Atsbhct

We pay so much for healthcare because people don't pay for healthcare if that makes sense.

Before Obamacare, inurance wasn't bad. I paid 200+ per month and had 10 dollar co-pays. 35 emergency room visits. Now I have a 450+ monthly payment.

#ThanksObama

a reply to: butcherguy

I'm sorry hon.

Nothing P's you off more, than knowing your doing what your supposedly suppose to do in today's world, while knowing that there are many skating by that need a kick in the arse by karma.
My ex is one of them.

I sure hope everything turns out ok though, and there is nothing seriously wrong.

Just DON'T GO BACK TO THE SMOKES!!!!!
Look up alternatives if it gets ugly!

Hang in there.

Boss's husband fell off a truck and broke his hip yesterday. Since it's worker's comp and they can't do an MRI/cat scan until tomorrow, they sent him home! With just hydrocodone for the pain!

I hope you get good news from your test, and in the meantime, you aren't at home trying to live with a broken hip and negotiating worker's comp.

And while $1,000 is bad, you have insurance. So it could still be worse.

a reply to: butcherguy

Since this is a conspiracy site, allow me to conspire. . . .

In the short term, people like your ex will benefit, that will encourage more people to suck up government funds and regular people like yourself will get punished because you aren't dependent on government.

But what the government gives, it can and will, also take away.

Hope you feel better.

I'm still bucking Obamycare and pay cash for Doc visits. In Jan of this year My MD sent me for a "full panel" blood test. The test included a cancer screen and the entire thing was only about 35.00.
I don't know if it is appropriate in your case, but you might ask the doc.


Hope you get to feeling better.

originally posted by: ezramullins
I'm still bucking Obamycare and pay cash for Doc visits. In Jan of this year My MD sent me for a "full panel" blood test. The test included a cancer screen and the entire thing was only about 35.00.
I don't know if it is appropriate in your case, but you might ask the doc.

My office visit co-pay yesterday was $35.00.

This was for a Physician's Assistant (not a doctor) to listen to me tell her my symptoms and then decide that I needed a test.

Thanks for all of the helpful posts.

I will not smoke. I am done with that.

But I am still angry.

a reply to: intrptr

I've sent you a PM. please check.

I was not very clear. The test was 35. and the MD was 65. Maybe you can get your Doc's office to schedule the blood work without having to pay them again if you explain about your deductible. a reply to: butcherguy

It's crappy OP, but at least you're getting things taken care of now. Is there a preferred in network provider that can do the procedure?

originally posted by: avgguy
a reply to: Atsbhct

We pay so much for healthcare because people don't pay for healthcare if that makes sense.

Wrong. We pay so much for healthcare because healthcare in the United States is a Big Business.

We are lining the pockets of the big insurance companies.

Same goes for pharmaceuticals.

I take a scarce medication. The prescription is hard to fill because there is so little of it around.

Why, you may ask? Because there is no profit in producing it, so no one wants to make it despite the fact that it is a lifesaving drug.

a reply to: Creep Thumper

It is a business, but so is car seats, grocery stores and water companies. None of those things are free and they all either save lives or keep you alive. it compounds the problem immensely when we have leaches that use goods without paying, the cost then passed down to the people that are decent enough to pay their bills.

originally posted by: avgguy
It's crappy OP, but at least you're getting things taken care of now. Is there a preferred in network provider that can do the procedure?

I made sure that the provider was in network before I scheduled yesterday's appointment.

a reply to: butcherguy

Oh ok, just checking. Some companies have "preferred providers" where you can save a couple hundred bucks just because they see so many people in your insurance.

originally posted by: avgguy
a reply to: butcherguy

Oh ok, just checking. Some companies have "preferred providers" where you can save a couple hundred bucks just because they see so many people in your insurance.

Thanks, I appreciate anything anyone wants to throw my way.

originally posted by: ezramullins
I'm still bucking Obamycare and pay cash for Doc visits. In Jan of this year My MD sent me for a "full panel" blood test. The test included a cancer screen and the entire thing was only about 35.00.
I don't know if it is appropriate in your case, but you might ask the doc.


Hope you get to feeling better.

I found paying cash is the better way to go. I think the most I've paid for a head-of-the-line doctor's visit was something like $30 ... and I know it's an average of $25. Do let us know if you 'get caught' dodging the inevitable.

I've got the forerunner of 0bamacare (Tricare) as a policy. Everything about it sucks. This leads to lots of laughter when I hear everyone else complain about their 0bamacare costs. I knew what was coming ... but, no one gave a hoot when I was strapped with a crappy government decision I didn't sign-up for.

Ahhhhhahahahahaha!!

ETA: Personal to ButcherGuy: Sounds like TB if you ask me.