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In reply to the discussion: I Went To The Accts Payable Dept Of The Hospital Yesterday To Pay My Mom's Bill's And Found This.... [View all]renate
(13,776 posts)We used to have good insurance through my husband's employer. Bills were minimal and easy to understand.
Now we have to pay for our own insurance, with an immense deductible. Preventive care is supposedly covered but I'm afraid that lab fees and assorted other things won't be, so I don't go. I wouldn't go for an acute illness and I probably wouldn't go if I were concerned about a chronic illness unless I genuinely thought it might be a matter of life or death. Horror stories like in the OP are 100% the reason why.
My kids get well-child exams and I've never had a problem with billing from our pediatrician's office, so I don't dread going there. But for me and my husband, there would have to be a lot of blood involved before we went to the doctor because of the labyrinth that is medical billing these days.
My sympathies for your mother's death.