And this is what they call reform?
On the eve of the president's signing of one of the most sweeping pieces of social legislation in nearly half a century, my wife was two days away from a simple out-patient surgery at Little Company of Mary Hospital.
Some time in the early afternoon on Monday she received a call from the hospital's financial office. The woman on the other line told my wife that she wanted to confirm her surgery date. My wife concurred.
Then the woman said that she had checked with our health insurance company to double check the terms of our policy. Again, my wife confirmed the details.
"We understand you have a $300 deductible," the woman then said.
"Yes," my wife answered.
"How much of that will you be paying today?" she asked, matter-of-factly.
My wife laughed. "Um, none."
"You will not even be making a partial payment?"
"Nope."
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"Ok, just checking." The woman then hung up.
Little Company wants us to pre-pay toward my wife's surgery? What the hell is wrong here? And did the massive, "historic" health care reform bill address this issue?
My wife's a polite woman, but if I had been the subject of that phone call, I probably would have made reference to the hospital's clientele who don't pay their bills. Maybe she should have been strong-arming them into pre-paying.
I probably would have commented about the hospital's reputation for threatening patients with sending them to collection unless their bill is paid in full within just a few months of treatment.
Shouldn't this health care discussion have addressed how medical facilities and doctors can get the deadbeat patients to pay up? We pay what we can on time each month, every month. It's called being conscientious.
That's why that phone call was so insulting. My wife was suddenly lumped in with the rest of the deadbeats who walk through Little Company's ER doors and expect a little "free" treatment - at the expense of people like us.
Apparently there's very little "care" for the patient in modern health care. And - at least for me and my family - I don't see any reform helping us any time soon either. Good times ahead!
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