Co-pays...

That little $20 each for co-pay sure does add up. They’re killing my budget and wreaking havoc with our finances. Ron goes to no less than five doctor appointments per month, each charging $20. That’s $100 right off the bat. I know it doesn’t sound like much but when he’s not bringing in a paycheck (only short-term disability) it makes things difficult.

In addition to the $20 per visit co-pay, Aetna makes us fill out the disability paperwork each month and that’s an additional $20 each time (no free ride anywhere these days).

Next week we have three appointments – cha-ching! There goes $60. It was four but I had to re-schedule one. I just couldn’t fit it into the week.

I know it sounds like I’m whining but I’m really not. I’m very thankful that we have insurance or our out-of-pocket expenses would be much higher. It’s just that there are so many medical expenses coming up and so many statements arriving that it’s hard to keep them all straight. The doctor’s visits I have to pay that day. The home health care sends a bill (which I haven’t gotten yet for any of his services and I’m dreading it), the wound vac company sends a bill (saw a statement for insurance but don’t know my cost yet), and the lab sends a bill. I’ve paid out quite a few bills in the past couple of weeks.

His hospitalization co-pay is $100 per visit – so we have $300 due, plus we have the wound care treatment that he got before hospitalization - $189. Since March 17th I’ve paid nearly $300 in medical bills – and that’s only checks being mailed. It doesn’t count prescriptions or the amounts I’ve paid in the office. That amount brings the total to $658.10. That total surprises even me.

Of course, we are getting disability pay. It’s $250 per week and that is pretty much absorbed by the out-of pocket stuff.

I know I haven’t seen the last of medical bills. There are a lot the insurance company has paid, and a lot the providers have written off. Two hospitalizations were over $60,000 just for the hospital services. Then there was several thousand dollars for various doctors who came to see him - cardiac, orthopedic, infectious disease, the hospital residents, etc. Those were paid by insurance, so that was a big relief. I have no idea what the surgery last week cost. IV medications and supplies were over $5,000 for two bills and over $4,000 for another. The wound vac was $7666 for the first bill.

Can we say “payment plan?”