Well this is different and unexpected

[ckelly78z]

Shoveling snow strains the heart, the lungs, and the muscles, so many folks don't realize how strenuous it actually is until it's too late.

Bicycling is a fluid motion, that you can adjust your input level accordingly if you start getting fatigued.

[Seahawk]

Good news. Great news.

Steady as she goes, Flat...mind your helm.

[cabmandone]

Paul
I thought "Mind your stern" would be better.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by cabmando

Paul
I thought "Mind your stern" would be better.

HAHAHAHA! You guys!

[pavulon]

It may help you to understand what happened by searching out how atherosclerosis plaque rupture and angina go together. Long story short, plaques can rupture when stressed and the ruptured areas attract the materials which form clots. The clots impede blood flow. Clot busters restore blood flow and anticoagulants (heparin...) discourage the problem from reoccurring.

[SCadaddle]

Must have been "catching" as we say around here.

27 1/2 hours (including 9 hours in the ER waiting room) after first feeling like an elephant on my chest and a BP of 165/105 this past Sunday into Monday, I wound up getting a stent in the one of two 100% closed arteries they could open Tuesday morning. The other one couldn't be budged. Probably require open heart surgery when I get the bill.

[Crowbob]

I'm not reading any more of this thread.

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by SCadaddle

Must have been "catching" as we say around here.

27 1/2 hours (including 9 hours in the ER waiting room) after first feeling like an elephant on my chest and a BP of 165/105 this past Sunday into Monday, I wound up getting a stent in the one of two 100% closed arteries they could open Tuesday morning. The other one couldn't be budged. Probably require open heart surgery when I get the bill.

Sorry to hear bro, all best for quick healing.

[Jim Richards]

Yikes! Flatbutt, SCadaddle, you guys take care of yourselves. Maybe PP can get you a deal on any (body) parts you may need. The tech forum should be good for r&r advice. We’re here for you guys!

[SCadaddle]

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Yikes! Flatbutt, SCadaddle, you guys take care of yourselves. Maybe PP can get you a deal on any (body) parts you may need. The tech forum should be good for r&r advice. We’re here for you guys!

In my instance it took the Doctor and his staff 2 1/2 hours to look at things with the heart cath and after giving up on the one artery installing the stent in the other one. Seemed like 30 minutes to me, what do I know as I was the customer, and probably 9 out of 10 surgeons agree it is easier to perform a heart cath than it is to replace the fuel lines through the tunnel of a 911.

[Jim Richards]

Seriously, who only does half a valve job?

[flatbutt]

Well the first invoice arrived and yes insurance payed up, but what a doozy.

The ambulance billed $6600 dollars for the service and $990 for mileage (15 miles from home to the hospital), as if mileage couldn't be covered in the $6600.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by SCadaddle

Must have been "catching" as we say around here.

27 1/2 hours (including 9 hours in the ER waiting room) after first feeling like an elephant on my chest and a BP of 165/105 this past Sunday into Monday, I wound up getting a stent in the one of two 100% closed arteries they could open Tuesday morning. The other one couldn't be budged. Probably require open heart surgery when I get the bill.

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Well the first invoice arrived and yes insurance payed up, but what a doozy.

The ambulance billed $6600 dollars for the service and $990 for mileage (15 miles from home to the hospital), as if mileage couldn't be covered in the $6600.

Glad you're both still around to deal with the bills!

Now, both of you go have a kale, avocado, flax seed and wheatgrass smoothie for us.

[pavulon]

It's absurd but your insurance company paid no where near those rates. Yet, without insurance, you would.

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Well the first invoice arrived and yes insurance payed up, but what a doozy.

The ambulance billed $6600 dollars for the service and $990 for mileage (15 miles from home to the hospital), as if mileage couldn't be covered in the $6600.

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

So I don't what the heck is going on. Maybe shoveling snow is too acute an activity whereas my bicycling isn't? I just don't know what I can do differently. Hoping the follow up sheds more light on it.

One is anaerobic activity and the other is aerobic activity.


Stay out of the weight room

Originally Posted by Jim Richards

Seriously, who only does half a valve job?

It is called practice management Jim.

Also, they probably only pay 50% of allowed on second procedure, 25% on third and maybe 0% on the fourth.

[tevake]

Originally Posted by pavulon

It's absurd but your insurance company paid no where near those rates. Yet, without insurance, you would.

This really get to me as a cash customer. The insured patients require someone in the office to deal with the paperwork, then the Dr's wait for the insurance to respond with a significantly reduced payment.
While the cash customer pays on the spot and still gets to pay full fare.
Seems crazy to me.

So glad that Flatbutt and Scaddle both got to the hospital in time and are on the mend, hang in there guys.

Cheers Richard

[pavulon]

My retired, 60 yo, single neighbor managed to get plunked by a car awhile back. He did a month in the hospital and is mentally a bit scrambled still as well has mending several fractures and broken teeth. He'll have more surgery in due time. He has no health insurance. It is unclear if the driver was at fault as my neighbor was walking at night in dark clothing and not in a crosswalk. Although my neighbor is convinced that he will pay zero $$, he does not understand that he will pay a lawyer a LOT and may well collect zilch on top of the million dollar hospital bill coming soon.

[flatbutt]

I'm still here and feeling good. Here are two follow up items:

First, the one night stay ran up a hospital total of $38400. Medicare paid $8604, I pay $330. So where did the $29465 go? The hospital eats it? Or is the $38K just a ridiculous charge?

Second, the cardiologist recommended a nuclear stress test but medicare won't pay for it so no go. But the Dr has dropped me completely! I've tried to get some guidance on what I should be doing for rehab if any but they're not returning my calls. WTF?

I'm not egregiously stupid so I'm taking it easy trying to recondition my heart but dayum I wouldn't mind some expert guidance.

[sc_rufctr]

Go and see your regular doctor. He may be able to recommend a new cardiologist.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

I'm still here and feeling good. Here are two follow up items:

First, the one night stay ran up a hospital total of $38400. Medicare paid $8604, I pay $330. So where did the $29465 go? The hospital eats it? Or is the $38K just a ridiculous charge?

Second, the cardiologist recommended a nuclear stress test but medicare won't pay for it so no go. But the Dr has dropped me completely! I've tried to get some guidance on what I should be doing for rehab if any but they're not returning my calls. WTF?

I'm not egregiously stupid so I'm taking it easy trying to recondition my heart but dayum I wouldn't mind some expert guidance.

Most folks first reaction would be to gripe about the medical field and say how it's all a big scam, but I don't think that's the case. Are there abuses, sure, find me any field or any place that doesn't have abuses. More likely there are problems that need solutions. I remember the thread(s) from Tobra about spending lots of time treating the drug addict with the serious problems that was never going to be anything more than a waste of time and money spent, but it had to be done. Then there's the insurance and systems of law that exacerbated the issue, but at the same time are there for a valid reason.

We just glad that you are still around and were taken care of. Now you just need to find someone to give you some advice.