Yes me. I need surgery on a cyst in my ovary. I’m in pain most days because it feels like it’s pressing on my spine. Sometimes my toes go numb on that side of my body. When I have sex I can feel it pushing up inside me. On really bad days I have trouble walking because the pain is so great.
(I haven’t read the entire thread yet so hopefully you’re really not going to turn this into some political thing)
So they’d give me a loan when I don’t have any income and probably won’t have any income that would repay such a loan I’d need? It would take a whole lot more than 2500. My Mig had a brief ER visit with nothing more than blood, x-ray, and a misdiagnosis. He’s received almost seven thousand dollars worth of bills. They sent a letter saying they’d work with him but they required proof of income before they’d agree. Within a few months they turned it over to collection agencies, and we’re going to be slowly paying them off.
I would do that for my surgery if I could. There’s still a lot i’d like to be seen for but I’d be paying to the grave and still owing I imagine.
Well, you certainly put my needs in perspective, Rushgeekgirl. I am truly sorry for your situation.
My god, the cost of this meagre treatment shocks me! I had surgery last year to remove a very large ovarian cyst (no real pain, but it was the size of a watermelon and had to come out). I’m in the UK, and could have had it done on the NHS, for free, with a 5 week wait (only that long because my preferred surgeon was on holiday for 2 of those weeks!). I chose not to wait because of the discomfort I was in, and paid £5000 (all inclusive) for the surgery in a private hospital. So, for around $8,000 I got the best treatment I could within, literally, a couple of days. Would surgery for you be a lot more than this (assuming you could find the money from somewhere)?
I’ve been reading this thread with interest, but reluctant to post anything as I have no direct experiences to relate. Your medical situation is so close to mine, though, that it really hit me. However, I’m very much aware that your healthcare/financial situation couldn’t be further from mine, and I’m so sorry that you are having to compromise on the treatment you need because of financial considerations.
Also, add me to the list of people that are baffled that some people consider that taking out a home equity loan for vital surgery is an acceptable state of affairs…
My wife needs a stem cell transplant (doctor recommended), but our insurance refuses to pay for it, and we don’t have a spare $150,000 laying around.
FYI, a single total knee replacement should cost $50,000 *at most *in any state, although rehabilitation might cost another $10,000.
I do, need to go to a dentist, i haven’t been in more than a decade. Despite brushing my teeth daily… I’ve got a slowly disintegrating wisdom tooth than needs work. I’ve been unemployed for a long time, and don’t know how i would pay it back. I would consider letting dental students practice on me if i thought it would get me some help.
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There are organizations out there that will help with costs and co-pays for certain specific chronic conditions. What I am thinking is forming one to help people who have medical conditions that require a single procedure like a wisdom tooth or cataract removal or knee surgery, that will really improve the quality of the person’s life.
I have spoken with the mission’s department at the local hospitals (Bon Secours), the local social services directors, hospitals that serve lower income areas, and a minisry that serves the uninsured on Wednesdays and they assure me that there is a need for something like this.
I have my first meeting to begin drafting a grant proposal Monday. Wish me luck!
Best wishes, newcrasher!
What a wonderful idea! I wish it wasn’t, but it is apparently all too necessary. Best of luck with the proposal!
In response to the initial question, yes. I went to my gynecologist last week (Thursday) who in turn told me that due to the current issues i was having and my extensive family history with “female cancers” he felt it was medically necessary to do a hysterectomy asap. Before I left the office I had signed a surgical consent and completely finished all pre op labs and paperwork. I got a call from the nurse the next day (Friday) who scheduled the surgery for 1 week later. Then i get a phone call today (Tuesday) saying that unless i could pay an out of pocket deductible of 10% almost $2000 they were going to have to cancel my surgery. Ive already reached my deductible and have only met $4000 of out of pocket so until i get to $6000 i still have to pay. I tell the lady that there is no way i can come up with that kind of money to have the surgery in 1 week and thought we should just reschedule for after the first of the year. It is 12/15/15. I am then hit with the lady telling me i will have to pay full price for the surgery if i wait because i will have to start over with my deductible and out of pocket. What is the purpose of paying health premiums if you cant afford to correct the medical problems found by going to the doctor? How can they claim the surgery is medically necessary then demand payment before services are rendered. If it is cancer am I expected to let it spread and kill me because i cant afford the surgery All because my husband and I work extremely hard and have to pay for health insurance and dont qualify for medicaid. Our system seems majorly flawed. Please give me some advise!!! Completely helpless in Louisiana
Thanks, Zombie Obama!
I’m confused. Your doctor says you need an immediate hysterectomy because of an “extensive family history with ‘female cancers’” and because of some current issues. Did she/he say that you were pre-cancerous or had cancer? By “female cancers”, was she/he perhaps referring to gynecologic cancers?
Reputable hospitals should not demand payment before a service is rendered.
If they are in your network, report this to the insurance company.
Also speak to the patient advocate at the hospital.
Maybe this varies state to state? I am also in Louisiana, and had to pay my annual healthcare deductible in advance before having cataract surgery a few months ago.
If it makes a difference, my surgery was was not at a hospital, but at an outpatient surgical center. Could be the same for JenniferSA, maybe?
Regardless of whether payment is required in advance, the hospital will almost certainly agree to let you finance the deductible payment (or even waive it entirely; they’ll still make money off the post-deductible insurance cost).
I recently put $2000 worth of dental on a credit card. the bill was $5,000. My portion was $2,000.
I am having a knee replacement next March. I should have had this knee replacement at least a year ago, but even though my insurance pays for a goodly chunk of the expense, all the peripheral expenses, on top of the co-pay, required some scrimping and saving in advance.
What do I mean by peripheral expenses?
Cabs to and from physical therapy and doctor appointments (right knee being replaced, won’t be able to drive safely for a while)
Loss of wages (even with STD available, it only pays at 60% of regular salary)
Co-pays for such things as the PT, medications, crutches, walkers, etcs, as needed
Pay for dog walker, house cleaner, laundry doer, grocery shopper, etc., as needed
All of these somewhat hidden expenses, added to my co-pay for the doctor/hospital/etc. will be about 7k. And although I have an FSA, I am only allowed to contribute $2.5k each year, so the rest has to come from somewhere.
So I have dragged myself around on this painful knee (and I’m active, so it’s been a lot of dragging) for over a year past the time when I truly needed the surgery.
So although this doesn’t necessary qualify as not being able to afford the surgery, I’m still including it for you anyway.
My uncle lives in Illinois. His vision is very severely limited by cataracts, and he too had the surgery set up to go - and I believe it was, indeed, in an outpatient center. My aunt was told they had to cough up $3,000 before the surgery or he could not have it. They don’t have $3K, nor credit cards upon which they could charge such a sum, and so the surgery was cancelled. My uncle sees only light and dark, so he’s pretty much blind - can’t dress himself, etc. He’s not old enough for Medicare. So these sorts of things do happen other places than Louisiana. 
Totally unprofessional.
Still, I have heard stories from neighbors of shady medical practices that give holiday cash-bonuses to staff based on billables that they can drum up before January 1st.
“Gotta pay us all up front -cash- and before the 1st. Its that or you’ll have to start All Over again. Yeah. Yeah. That’s the ticket…”