The sad thing is if you didn't have insurance the hospital would hound you for the whole 32k..
When I had my knee replaced the bill was $42k and the insurance ended up at around $32k.

Ok, we pay an additional $7-800 pa on top of the tax bill. This is for a family of four. I have always used my local hospital for emergency stuff and have been seen to immediately. I recently had about 5 tests to make sure my heart was ok. The whole lot was 'free'. If I had private health cover I would have to pay at least $3k in gap fees for the tests and the 4 days spent in hospital. Most people don't use private health care, waste of money. We get free dental, the waiting list is long though, and pretty much everything else is free. Except of course elective surgery. Private insurance would cost my family at least $3-4k a year. I don't care what anybody says, our system works pretty well, or at least it has me and my kids. We have two kids and the total cost including ultrasounds, gyno visits etc, the delivery and the days spent in hospital came to a grand total of $0.00

Ok, if I divide the cost between my family and all the other medical services I use it would cost me $150.00. As far as I'm concerned next to $32k that's as good as free,

Times like this that I really like our public health care...... Mind you in my job I would have insurance but knowing I have already paid (through taxes) makes one less thing to worry about......

Cheers

This is important line. Insurance has paid. Mike is not liable for anything except perhaps an anesthesiologist not on plan (highly unlikely). Billing is just that. Doesn't mean that's what gets paid.

I know you HAVE to believe that, or you would go crazy. :D

I just got the "statement" for my subacromial decompression (relief of a shoulder impingement).

Just a hair over $13k. The most interesting was the bill for the "recovery room"--my wife tells me I was there for a little under an hour before the anaesthesia wore off. 30 minutes later I was out the door climbing into the car. $1500. :eek:

The very important thing is that insurance negotiated the bill down. Suppose you don't have insurance. You won't be as successful, I believe. You will owe the original bill and be faced with maybe losing your home (if you have one) or bankruptcy. Those who may have recently lost work (and their insurance) had better hope they don't get appendicitis.

Each time you get a bill, call that office and repeat slowly into the phone:

NO HABLO ENGLIEESH


That will be the last you ever hear from them!

You could always just tough it out. Untreated appendicitis only has about a 15% mortality rate. If you feel lucky, you can avoid all those pesky co-pays! ;)

Free here too...My salary taxes are at 36 %...