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THR JB's (beachgal) Joyous Journey 7/25/14!

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@NoraJ, glad you don't have the trials and tribulations we do here in the USA regarding insurance, although my insurance company did pay the hospital directly, too, so that part was ok. But, get this...I STILL have not received an itemized billing from the hospital so I have zero idea what the totals I saw on my EOB are for!! Already got a bill from my OS. The doctors and PT companies file a claim with the insurance company then they "reprice" it down to about 25% of the total originally billed and they both agree to that. Isn't that weird? Such foolish games we play...

Sorry the Nair didn't work for you. It worked best for me the first time I used it when the hair was longer. It's not going to make me get rid of my razors but it was a fine substitute when I needed it most.
 
Hi @beachgal - I am just beginning the pains of the insurance woes this week as well, ugh!!! Last week was shorts weather in NY and this week had to go straight to jeans weather. But not that bad, I think all my swelling is gone and the incision seems to have healed...I visit my OS next, so we shall see what the 'almighty' has to say.
 
I think here there is pretty much a set price agreed berween hospitals and cons unless there are complications. I just had to confirm the number of nights and procedure. It worked out atc €11500 so about $15000.... If I went public I doubt I would ever have been operated on for years. Orthopaedics has a huge waiting list. I don't know that the system works terribly well for anyone...

RTHR May 27th 2014
 
@toohips, I threw on these jeans when some new pants I bought were too long, never thought about them being uncomfortable today, but it's gotten better as the day has evolved. It's still hot enough here for shorts and will be for a while. Feels sorta nice to be back in my jeans, though. It would be even nicer if I was in the middle of Central Park!! :heehee:

@NoraJ, my hospital stay was billed out at $ 40,000 and "repriced" at $ 22,000. Such a racket. Then comes the myriad of bills from OS and all the others with hands out...it's just shameful. Did you read in my thread earlier where I got TWO bills from TWO different anesthesia companies? Evidently one of them bills for hospital supplies used during my surgery and the other for the actual anesthesiologist. Really?? That's one reason I've asked for an itemized bill from the hospital, so I can see exactly what that original $ 40,000 was for! YIKES! :hairpulling:

The IT band release surgery I had in April was totally out of my network so none of those charges are being considered against my deductible. The outpatient surgery center where I had it done billed the insurance company a little over $ 10,000 and it was "repriced" to around $ 300. No wonder health care and health insurance is such a thorny issue everywhere. There is NO good system. :gaah:
 
Gosh it's confusing...that said given your line of work if you couldn't follow it there wouldn't much hope for anyone! A bill for 10000 was reduced to 300? That makes no sense! How could the original bill then be even justified?
I Had seen about the 2 bills and I thought it meant there was an error! Surely there must be an easier way for the system to work but presumably it depends on what your deductible is first off. Does that mean you can only use certain hospitals or treatment centres and if you don't you pay yourself?

What I signed off on was my entire hospital stay and the operation. I won't get any separate bills but I will have to pay the OS on Friday. I would imagine it is still cheaper than the U.S.

Here some policies are better than others especially public servants plans like the police or prison guards.

RTHR May 27th 2014
 
@beachgal Funny, as I was reading your 1st paragraph I was thinking 'I wonder how she bent low enough to get the bottom'? You need to be tied down! My skin looks so fragile and thin that I would be afraid to shave even if I wasn't on blood thinners right now.

Sorry all the bills are so difficult to figure out. For the most part in Canada we have direct billing so I only see bills for the extras like my reacher, etc. The paperwork I have had to deal with for work disability pay has been very hard for me to follow and I seem to have a memory like a sieve lately! I agree with you about delaying any paperwork you can until the fog has fully lifted or turn it over to a family member who is well aware of everything that would be a ligit bill.
 
@Carriemay60. ..I had to claim an illness benefit from the state and my employer paid the remainder. But initially it was weekly forms from my GP to be sent for processing. I couldn't drive, it could only be my GP and no other and I wasn't at home. The GP secretary was rude, unhelpful and uninformed and it by far caused me most stress in the first month. They switched me to monthly certs and I was so relieved!

I think the hospital was so used to most hip patients being retired I confused things!

RTHR May 27th 2014
 
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@NoraJ That's just horrible to have to deal with - sometimes I think some of these people must have a vision of a line-up of people at our doors offering to run errands for us! (our exec. assistant is one of those)
 
The irony being I dealt with state services daily professionally for years. I spent most of working life compiling reports, forms and advocating on behalf of children ect but none of that prepared me for how frustrated I felt trying to deal with my GP ' S office. My doctor wasn't a bother it was her secretary... but did I complain? No...I lost my nerve because it was about me and not a client!

RTHR May 27th 2014
 
@beachgal Another nice report of progression, I am glad you pulled it off with only needing icing.
@NoraJ @beachgal @Carriemay60 No comment on the entire health system. Very confusing and such a racket. We need to have the rest of the bills come in before we have the entire situation. Make sure there are no surprises. Whenever I do have all the information, at least I will be at that 7 week marker and have a better head to sort it all out and make sure everyone is on the up and up
 
@muckingabout, know what you mean. Now that my deductible has been met, I'm scheduling all of my other doctor's visits and a colonoscopy by the end of the year. The thought of going through more of this sickens me but not as much as writing those checks would next year.

I want to encourage you all to really scan your itemized bills and be sure that all of the companies that are billing you have filed with your insurance company. I've found two more radiologists that did not submit claims from April. With a phone call to them this morning, I've started the process. Honestly, if we did business that way, we'd have no clients. It's shameful.
 
Changing the subject a bit...about my dream last night....

Hubby and I were driving in New Orleans and pulled into the parking garage next to the cruise ship terminal where the porter unloaded our luggage. We drove up to the fifth floor where we were directed to pull ONTO the cruise ship in our car and drive along the deck then directed again to pull OFF the ship to the parking garage again where we left our car. We walked into the terminal to check in for our cruise and I realized that I didn't have our passports. Then I couldn't remember where we were going on the cruise. So we got to the cruise agent's window and she asked about which cruise we were checking in and told us that there was no cruise leaving that day but one was leaving the next day. We were not booked for the cruise, though. Hubby asked her if there were any available cabins left on the ship and she offered a suite for $ 5600 which he booked. Our dog sitter faxed over copies of our passports and I woke up.

Guess I'm ready to travel. :rofsign:
 
@beachgal I agree on the deductible being met and getting some other treatment done during the year. Fortunately, I do not think anything much, but it might be helpful with something I will need some 'maintenance' on. I always wondered why many people did their 2nd hip so close to their 1st one, suddenly it occurred to me that financially it could make a lot of sense. I am nowhere near to pulling the trigger on my 2nd hip, I am hoping for 10 more years on that one, especially since I just fixed the one. I do think I should evaluate and see what I might need by the end of the year. As always...good tips along the way
 
@beachgal That is so strange about your dream!! I also had a dream about hubby & I leaving on a cruise last night! Somehow we wound up at my mother's along the way to the terminal and she got hubby doing all kinds of chores and talking our ears off. As we were arriving at the terminal, the bridge was up and the boat was pulling out without us!!
 
Greetings, all, and it's my 8th week report, actually due tomorrow, but I'm taking the day off so here we go!

I'm doing well. I'm not doing my PT exercises as often as I was before I came back to work but I figure that I'm getting a lot of different exercise and stretches from running around my office and doing errands for home. I feel stronger than before I came back to the coast and am generally pretty happy with where I am. I tweaked my hip a bit earlier this week when I put on my socks and shoes for the first time so I won't try that again for a while, but the pain only lasted about 36 hours. You don't know unless you try....:rolleyes:

I'm taking Tylenol in the morning and at night now, it helps me relax while I sleep and gets me ready for the day ahead. I've had a problem with my dry skin on my op leg, mostly from my knee to my ankle, so I'm taking Biotin for skin (good for hair & nails, too) and using my Vitamin E oil bought for my incision scar on my legs, too. It's making a difference, I think. :curtsey:

Hubby and I host my three sisters and their extended families at Seaside, FL every year for a long weekend and this year we'll be there from Oct. 2-6. :swim:
Then Oct. 16-19 we will travel about 7 hours north to my BFF from high school's son's wedding weekend.
We have opted for a week in the Blue Ridge Mountains around Asheville, NC. at the end of October rather than tackling NYC. Just not time for the big city yet. :driver::walking:

We have rebooked our trip to Paris for the last of January/first of February! :vespa:

So we have travel plans...and are thinking about the Kentucky Derby in May! :horseriding:

There are still many things I cannot do. I still need healing. I am constantly amazed, however, that there is zero old hip pain. It was totally worth it. Now that I'm home, with autumn weather ahead, I smile all the time. :wave:
 
All those trips sound fun! When is the cruise???

RTHR May 27th 2014
 
I saw that too earlier! I lost track with all excursions planned. Paris is wonderful. ..The advantage for me here is those city trips are easy to get too. A friend was visiting from the US a few years ago and we both flew to Paris return for less than a $100! It was fantastic.

I think I need to plan a trip soon!

RTHR May 27th 2014
 
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