I just got a copy of a medical bill that was paid by insurance which means it goes to my deductible and then the remainder is sent to medicare. The $78 was all applied to my deductible so I hope that medicare picks up the rest. Out of pocket medical is making us poor. Here is the kicker. It was for an appointment at the wound care clinic. The regular doctor that I see had suggested seeing an podiatrist who works there one or two days a week. This was the second time that I had seen the guy. He didn't even look at my wound. He asked the nurses, as he stood in the hall, how it was doing and since the nurses said it looked okay that they could just put the dressing on it and send me home. My husband was furious and told the front desk not to set up any more appointments with the guy because we could have done the same stuff at home and not had to be billed. My husband wanted me to see the regular guy that I usually saw and the woman at the front desk was very nice and set me up with the regular guy. The bill that we got from this appointment was billed as anything from doctor's services, but was billed as "Misc. medical supplies." What a crock and what a racket. If I say anything to insurance or medicare. They won't pay it. I can't afford to pay more out of pocket. The wound care clinic is already working with me because I have been going there for over two years and my new insurance doesn't have them under their preferred providers. I am worried about saying anything to the clinic, but what I do plan to do is that if my regular doctor wants me to see another podiatrist or specialist, I am going to say "no" and then share with him why. I figure if he brings it up, then it doesn't look like I was making a fuss over it. I worry about losing services because I have already lost a regular family physician because medicare and the insurance were mixed up about who was primary. This was an old insurance company and this happened over 4 years ago. By the time everything was straightened out, my old doctor's office wouldn't take my appointments because of classified as non-payment and the items had gone to collectors, even after we explained the problem and how we were trying to get it worked out. I'm not sure why, but I guess that podiatrist who billed me for misc. medical equipment no longer works at the clinic. One of the nurses said it in passing as she was reveiwing my notes. When I asked her why he left, she claimed to have not known the reason.
Candle "Scars remind of us where we’ve been, they don’t have to dictate where we are going." ~David Rossi of Criminal Minds ***********************************************************************
