# Wow am I glad I have health insurance
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [November 7, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973 "2014-11-07T13:54:28Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973/1 "2014-11-07T13:54:28Z")
Short back story: lump on a toe
Podiatrist exam: $250.00
Podiatrist took & sent a biopsy to the lab: $650.00
Podiatrist follow up ???
Lab #1 charged insurance: $460.52
Lab #2 charged insurance: $355.00
Me: $30
This one procedure was way more than I pay for a year of the most expensive insurance my company offers.
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### Author:  [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973/2 "2014-11-07T18:41:19Z")
They may have charged the insurance those amounts, but what did the insurance actually pay?
J.
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### Author:  [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973/3 "2014-11-07T18:45:35Z")
Probably 50%
But, so what?
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### Author:  [@GrumpyBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrumpyBunny)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973/4 "2014-11-07T18:48:57Z")
Labs are notorious for trying to bill more than the insurance company allows. Compare their bills to your EOBs before paying them.
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### Author:  [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)
#### Post date: [November 7, 2014, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973/5 "2014-11-07T23:02:30Z")
> [@CT\_Damsel](#):
>
> Short back story: lump on a toe
>
> Podiatrist exam: $250.00
> Podiatrist took & sent a biopsy to the lab: $650.00
> Podiatrist follow up ???
> Lab #1 charged insurance: $460.52
> Lab #2 charged insurance: $355.00
>
> Me: $30
>
> This one procedure was way more than I pay for a year of the most expensive insurance my company offers.
Meh. Guy I worked with wasn’t feeling well. Went to the ER and they said he was having a massive heart attack. Quadrupole emergency bypass surgery: $210K.
He’s no deadbeat, but he told me without insurance he wouldn’t even attempt to pay that. Paying his 5 grand copay was hard enough.
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [November 8, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973/6 "2014-11-08T23:43:56Z")
> [@CT\_Damsel](#):
>
> Short back story: lump on a toe
>
> Podiatrist exam: $250.00
> Podiatrist took & sent a biopsy to the lab: $650.00
> Podiatrist follow up ???
> Lab #1 charged insurance: $460.52
> Lab #2 charged insurance: $355.00
>
> Me: $30
>
> This one procedure was way more than I pay for a year of the most expensive insurance my company offers.
My friend would have cut your toe off for a twenty. 😃 Just saying…😉
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### Author:  [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2014, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973/7 "2014-11-09T00:51:52Z")
> [@pkbites](#):
>
> Meh. Guy I worked with wasn’t feeling well. Went to the ER and they said he was having a massive heart attack. Quadrupole emergency bypass surgery: $210K.
>
> He’s no deadbeat, but he told me without insurance he wouldn’t even attempt to pay that. Paying his 5 grand copay was hard enough.
I had my triple bypass surgery done in La Clinica Norte in Barrenquilla Colombia. Complete cash price $9,000 USD! NO insurance at all.
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### Author:  [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973/8 "2014-11-09T02:11:33Z")
Why two different labs? Did the one biopsy have to be sent to two different labs?
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### Author:  [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2014, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973/9 "2014-11-09T08:40:34Z")
> [@ouryL](#):
>
> My friend would have cut your toe off for a twenty. 😃 Just saying…😉
I’ll give him a $20. Don’t know where to find **CT\_Damsel** , tho.
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### Author:  [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)
#### Post date: [November 9, 2014, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wow-am-i-glad-i-have-health-insurance/703973/10 "2014-11-09T09:56:25Z")
> [@ouryL](#):
>
> My friend would have cut your toe off for a twenty. 😃 Just saying…😉
If it does not heal I’ll PM you for your friends contact info :eek: