Sometime earlier this year I had a week of migraines. Not as bad as a few years ago, but a definite escalation of symptoms over normal. I did my best to get them knocked down, but when I developed an aura within an hour of taking a migraine rescue medication, I tossed in the towel and went to the ED. Endless Artificial Energy....
The final bills are all in.
The total cost for a roughly 5 hour stay (2 of which I passed in the waiting area) with no lab work or x-rays of any kind was just under $2000. My portion? Just under $900.
If I had known that the day I had the headache would I have made a different choice about where I got my care? Likely not. I couldn't keep fluids down very well, couldn't keep my eyes open if the lights were on, and I needed to get it under control before it did brain damage. Yeah, I needed to be there. And the bottom line for us is that if I don't make the deductible, someone else will, like Babygirl, yesterday.
But if I didn't have a bank account with a cushion set aside to meet that deductible? If I knew that I'd have to choose between needed monthly medications, or groceries, and that ED bill? I'd likely have tried to tough it out somehow.
We are blessed enough to know that we will be okay. We've been through some miserable times and learned that you can't plan ahead for everything, but we DO plan ahead, and the reall blessing is that we CAN.
I see people every single day who can't - who make such low wages that the idea of having $100 socked away for an emergency is beyond imagination, let alone $1000 or more. I just wrote checks for that emergeny bill, for about $400 for Babygirl's last visit to Philly, and another $900 for dental bills. Generally speaking, I don't think healthcare should be a luxury.
DeeDee
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