I was very lucky that when they finally decided it as appendicitis and I had surgery my appendix had just perforated a little bit and they got all the poison out of me before it caused any real problems. Still though, my bill was $27k of which I only had to pay $300 in co-pays. It’s not as bad as $200k, but it still would have ruined my life at least temporarily to suddenly have that much debt.

I have health insurance, 100% paid for, through the largest health-care provider in my state. Which was great, until I hit the $15,000 lifetime deductible for tests/visits/hospital stays/surgeries in 2010.

Then I found out that this fine, fine insurance will cover breast implants, but not the prosthetic I use to protect my airway and allow for speech and swallowing (oral cancer). I’m still fighting the company to get at least some of the $21K I’ve paid for the prosthetic back.

Even good insurance can leave you badly in the lurch if there’s enough fine print and enough loopholes.

oddly enough, today is the two-year anniversary of my first release from the hospital: I left work the morning of 4/13/10, went straight to the ER, & then didn’t leave the hospital ’til 5/8/10. then I was still having fevers & ongoing issues once I was at home, so I got re-admitted for another five days at the end of May. I went back to work in mid-June, but I wasn’t really myself (or at a remotely normal weight) ’til at least July/August. & my body’s still a little wonky in some ways, but I have no illusions about the fact that I’m lucky to be alive.

to bring this slightly more on-topic, though–I have an HMO which, I know they’re not perfect, but holygod are they great if you’re unexpectedly hospitalized for a damn month. they have a flat $500 copay for hospital admissions that covers EVERYTHING. as in, my first stay cost the same amount as the second–which is a little ridiculous, but overall pretty great. I was also fortunate enough to get short-term disability pay while I was away from work–60% of my salary, which is a hell of a lot better than nothing.

but the final itemized bill was $228k. which is terrifying. I mean, not having insurance would’ve absolutely ruined my life (or, even more likely, ended it–because would I really have gone to the ER that readily if I knew I couldn’t pay for it? I don’t know. & waiting even a few more hours might’ve killed me).

get insurance, everyone!!!

I badly injured my wrist in a period where I had no insurance and had to half-ass it with a $20 splint from the drugstore and no hospital visit. Dealing with constant daily pain for two months and worrying that I’d never me able to turn a doorknob again with that hand is NOT an experience I’d like to go through. (It got better, but it’ll probably never be 100%, and I’ll probably pay for it later in life.)