This Thankful Anyway is brought to you by an email that D wrote me the other day.
If you want to have another baby . . . DON'T DO IT HERE! Thank GOD I have insurance!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot believe all those people protesting health care reform!!! Sure, I am not very well informed on the subject, but I can't help but think that most of those people protesting would find it difficult to pay their medical bills without assistance. Even with good insurance, our yearly out of pocket max is a sum that most "average" Americans would find very difficult to deal with on top of all of their other debts. Not to mention, if my care extended over two calender years (like if I got pregnant in August and gave birth the following April) in which case I could pay the max EACH YEAR! Thankfully, we have planned for this. We are financially stable, but it was still a very eye opening experience when I went through all of the bills/insurance stuff today. So, are you curious?
Routine OB care $4231.00 (this is just for my Dr visits)
Hospital stay for C-Section $11,000 (4 days of healthy mom and baby care)
Anesthesiologist $754 (for the Anesthesiologist's time)
Two ultrasounds $500 (approximate)
Other lab tests $244 (approximate - all of those pee tests etc)
Estimated total: $16,729.00
This is estimated - but it will not be less than this. If I hemorrhage or if baby is jaundiced that is more $$. There are probably other services that I was charged for but haven't included. Of course, a regular birth would cost less, but how many people end up with C-sections anyways?
My reply:
Oh yeah...I figured my situation would have cost $50,000 easy (probably upwards of $75,000+). Probably well over. 12 days in the hospital. Baby ICU for 4 days...special care for 6. All the drugs possible, constant monitoring, IV antibiotics and jaundice treatment for the sprout, and a c-section....and initial emergency room visit.
So is my situation a for or against "socialized" health care? I guess you can see it being eithrer way depending on how you vote on the subject.
All that I know is that when I was getting into that taxi on the way to the hospital my fist thought wasn't "oh shit, I hope everything is ok.." My first thought was "oh shit, I wonder how much this would have cost me in the States?"
Do I really have to sum up this post? I think not.
3 comments:
I should also mention that we are covered through my husband's work insurance plan. Despite his company covering part of the costs of the group plan, the monthly premiums are still quite hefty. Obviously, it is worth it. Even if we get some sort of government insurance coverage in the US, I would likely still keep my private insurance if we can afford it. I am one of many who don't quite trust the gov't to get it right. Our family in Canada often has to wait months or years for the same procedures or treatments that we can get here quite quickly. So, I see arguments on both sides, but something has to be done about it.
My first two solutions:
1. Free birth control for all.
2. Food stamps should only pay for HEALTHY food! No more potato chips and ice cream on the tax payer's dime!
D
Good point about the food stamps. The whole health care debate is touchy. The bottom line is somehow it shouldnt be as expensive as it is.
Seems to me a really good question is how do we get the costs down? I'm grateful on a personal level that I have insurance and wouldn't have to pay out of pocket for all those expenses, but don't we all pay for it one way or another? Someone does. I'm 100% behind full preventative care available to all and I think keeping some level of personal responsibility is also important.
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