Well, then!

 Remember that full day of CT scans, MRIs, and a bone scan that was supposed to be tomorrow?

Yeah, it isn't. 

OU Health sent me an email -on Friday AFTERNOON- showing a dollar amount, and a button to "click."

The link took me to a page on the My Chart website, stating that I was required to pay an 'estimate' of what my insurance would leave to my responsibility BEFORE arriving for the tests on Monday at 7 am.

Um.  What?

The estimate was for $1768.00

The words were "You Must Pay This Amount before your appointment on Jan. 29th."

They don't do the tests, and submit the claims to insurance, and bill the patient AFTER insurance processes the claims.  They bill the patient FIRST, or they don't do the tests. 

If the insurance processes differently, and the patient needs to be refunded, they do it that way.  It's ridiculous, and creates extra work for the billing department.

Believe me, the billing department has enough work to do.  That's what I do for a living!

Anyway, my health savings account through work only has $1000 in it, and I use it to pay co pays, and any bills I might incur, until it's gone.  

I can't afford to have more than that taken out of my pay.

Because I was unable to pay the money they demanded, (because I had NO idea that was going to be the case, LESS THAN ONE BUSINESS DAY AHEAD OF TIME), I had to cancel the day of scans.

These scans were scheduled OVER SIX WEEKS AGO.  You would think they could have notified me a LITTLE earlier about the cost I would have to bear!

Then, after all of that was sorted out, I got another 'estimate' for the cardiac ultrasound on Tuesday for $800.00

There goes most of my HSA money, but at least I can get that test done, and will see the doctor that afternoon, as planned.

When I meet the new doctor, I will tell her what happened, and ask her to prioritize which tests need to be done first, and to please schedule them one at a time, so that I can figure out how to pay for them.

I will mention to her that there is an assistance program for my chemo, as well, that she has to approve and have the billing department implement.

One of the benefits of being treated in a smaller kind of clinic was that at least I didn't have to pay for services that had not even been done yet.

Yes, the billing at the last clinic was as clusterf&ck, messed up MESS, but at least they would work with me to get things paid. 

Not so with OU!

Anyway. 

I am SOOO relieved that I don't have to go through that day tomorrow. 

I've been dreading it, and filled with anxiety over it, and now it's not happening!!  I can breathe easy until I see the doctor, and find out which test she will order first.

Also, I never got to ask my questions of the interim doctor....so I will ask her.  

Why do we need to do the CT and bone scans SO SOON?  We just did them 3 months ago, and in nine years of treatment, I have no recollection of having to be scanned any more often than every 6 months.

AND, why do we need to do CT AND MRI of the same area?

It should be interesting to see what she says.

Dave and I are off on a day trip today.  I need to get out of the house, and the sun is shining for the first time in a long time.

It's nothing special, just a drive up north to see some different sights.

Have a great week!