Great News and Yucky News
By Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
Midland, Michigan
September 20, 2019 9:58am CST
I've been waiting for my bill from the hospital and related doctors after my knee surgery but have yet to receive anything. Literally, nothing. I finally called the hospital to ask what I owe and was told nothing. Oddly enough my insurance says I owe a bit over five thousand for my coinsurance.
While I was happy to hear this it seemed too good to be true. I was concerned that I may still be billed one day. But after talking to my cousin who was the billing manager at our hospital years ago she wonders whether Medicaire picked up my portion of the tab. I still have to check my account on Medicare to see whether that's what happened or not but it seems it must be so.
I only pay for part A and B right now and if this is what happened that's great since I wasn't expecting it.
On the other side of the coin, my employer is using a national program for us employees to access our work info like our payslips and schedules. Because the change was made during my time off everything related to my insurance premiums has been mucked up.
With my previous surgery all my premiums came out of my pay while I was off work. This round I was sent a large reimbursement check and have since been billed for what they've not taken out along with what was in that check. Stupid. The problem stems from the switch made from the program they'd been using to this new program and everything not syncing the way it should have. The only ones affected were any that were off for surgeries or medical leaves.
It was supposed to be fixed but something, some code they use is incorrect and the amount I owe keeps increasing. I start back on Monday at my normal full time hours and that should rectify the problem although I'll continue getting small checks until it's all paid up.
So thankfully I won't owe from my surgery because I almost owe that same amount for my premiums from being off for that same surgery.
Weird huh? It's good but weird just the same.
10 people like this
9 responses
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
20 Sep 19
Glad to hear you owe nothing. I hope you are feeling much better now! Good luck with your return to work!
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
20 Sep 19
The knee is 90% better. What's still problematic could take several more months to heal. I just need to remember to be patient with it.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23404)
• United Kingdom
20 Sep 19
@MarshaMusselman Oh well done. 90% means you are nearly there! Well done to you!
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
20 Sep 19
@garymarsh6 the first knee was at 100% once it was time for me to return to work so this is a bit odd. It at least doesn't hurt when I'm working and standing on it. It hurts more when I'm sitting at home.
When I saw the Dr last he said it could take me a year to be able to manage steps with the new knee. I then hastened to prove him wrong and can now go up and down with either for leading. Doing it without one hand holding the railing is something else entirely.
I figure if he wasn't concerned about aspects of my progress that I should be more patient with myself too.
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
1 Oct 19
I have been living in Canada for a long time now. When we arrived our children were young and now they are grown kids, one in the 30's, the other in the 40's and one in the 50's... We love Canada for a lot of reasons, we all are Canadian, my husband and I have chosen to keep our American status and have became Canadian which was not allowed when we moved here but when it was allowed we could keep our US status and become Canadian too. The big reason we love Canada is that medical costs us nothing.... we don't have to pay our doctors, we have never had a hospital bill. It works so well in Canada, I can't imagine why the US hasn't found a way to make their people free of medical fees.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
2 Oct 19
You don't pay premiums either? What about taxes is some of the cost taken care of that way?
Some years ago I heard about the waiting lines there in Canada for certain surgeries and that many Canadians came to the US because they no longer wanted to wait for their names to be called. Maybe it's different now, I don't know.
So Canadians get any kind of welfare for those who can't it won't get jobs?
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
2 Oct 19
@MarshaMusselman I'm not sure, about those without jobs, I'm guessing medical is given to all in Canada. I honestly don't know anything about welfare. We are here because of a job and we stayed here because we love it here. My husband is retired and I still paint and sell in a local store and a winery. And yes, I waited to get my surgeries but it it wasn't more than a couple of months...and my surgeries were not life saving. I would guess welfare is for anyone who needs it. And yes things ( gas is a biggie)
are more expensive here which makes the government a way to make life easier.
@LadyDuck (471541)
• Switzerland
20 Sep 19
@MarshaMusselman I am glad that any kind of medical problem we should have it is covered, we only have to pay our medical insurance.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
20 Sep 19
It was more of a concern at first because it didn't seem accurate. I was concerned that the bill would show up later when I had less money to pay it.
If I had the money sitting aside I could just pay the insurance premiums outright but probably it will take several months to get that caught up. At least I don't have to come up with the funds to pay it in one lump sum.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
25 Sep 19
It's better than the old one was but not as 100% yet as the first replacement was. Every week has been better all along and that still seems to be holding true.
I still needed to write about the current surgery and the difference between them.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
20 Sep 19
i'd rather 'em say i owe nothin' than that 5 grand, lol. if' y'ave medicare, yer employer insurance'd be yer primary, so such bein' paid'n full sounds correct, medicare should'a tended what the other didn't. not certain how that worked out with medicare 'lso havin' a deductible though. thingies 've changed much o'er the years, i'm purty rusty'n that regards.
ugh, i despise when they change thingies'n all goes 'wry. 't least yer able to repay such back o'er time.
1 person likes this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
20 Sep 19
@MarshaMusselman with electronic filin', payment 'tis usually made within 30 days, 's long's there'd be no questions to the charges. i know that many 're tied together 'n separate bills no longer needed sent. one pays'n such's electronically ferwarded to the next with no human intervention.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
20 Sep 19
I will be checking out my medicare section to see if it shows they paid the difference.
It used to take months before bills got finalized so I'm still surprised I won't need to pay anything.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
21 Sep 19
Considering my pay has been minimal so far if it continues until I'm caught up hopefully we'll continue to do as good as we have this far with our funds coming in.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
20 Sep 19
You got my point there. The first scenario is a great feeling but not the last since it'll mean my checks are smaller for a while.
@Marilynda1225 (82799)
• United States
20 Sep 19
Insurance and owing money can be a scary thought especially after a surgery. Glad you don't owe anything and can return to work on Monday.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
20 Sep 19
I've been back to work since labor day just not back to working full time hours. That's how I know I'll be fine while working if my back isn't bad that is.
