The bill has come due... just in time for Christmas.
Yes, this bill I'm talking about for Naomi's NICU stay is thus: $46,438.67.
Of course my insurance is covering the majority of it, and I have a health care account and a healthcare flex spending account, so the amount out of my pocket is small in comparison, but the point of sharing this is all that "service" was very, very unnecessary. It cost an average of $9,300 a day to have them weigh the baby's poop. Nice.
Oh and should I mention that my bill (just for me) was $25,252.00?
Individual costs had mysterious titles such as "Therapy" and "Drugs." Anyone can guess what those actually mean.
I'm sure some of you are tempted to blame a president -- whether past or current -- for these types of high bills, or be inclined to thank a president for changing things... Don't be fooled. It's not a president who caused this nor was it a president who can fix the "rising cost of health care." In fact, expect health care costs to go up in the coming years...
In this case, the reason for this high cost of care is over-care. We did NOT need to stay in the NICU for six days. Maybe three... but I'm convinced they just kept us there because they had an empty bed to fill and the doctors get paid according to how many babies they see in a day. Oh sure... they say they weren't "comfortable" sending the baby home with borderline jaundice levels, but babies have had worse jaundice than she had and were home to take care of it.
Makes me mad, people. Makes me mad.
4 comments:
Where do I sign up to get $9,300 a day for weighing baby poop?
I have to agree with you Anna, some times it is "over-care".
This, THIS infuriates me. I can't rail enough about the frustrations associated with health care in this country. And I feel so powerless to do anything about it.
The bill for my babies was about $200K each for a month in the hospital. Granted they DID need it, but Holy Cow!
In the end, it all works out and that cute little face will make you forget what you paid to get her here.
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