I was being sarcastic - Edit 1
Before modification by Sareitha Sedai at 09/02/2010 07:26:29 PM
For this and other reasons, it is very, very difficult (when not outright impossible) to make economic decisions regarding health care. Fortunately the majority of consumers are a few steps removed from actually bearing the financial burden of their choices, which doesn't exactly give them much of an incentive to care about making economic decisions...
Unfortunately, that majority of consumers is decreasing: the only reason we're in this situation is because she was laid off from a company that provided benefits and all she could find in the last year is making muffins for a startup coffee shop for $8 an hour. Incentive enough to at least ask some questions. I'll ask about the status of her billing account tomorrow when we're there, but I'm not expecting anything.
...in calling it 'fortunate'
Until people actually have the necessary information and incentive to make economic decisions, we're not going to see much improvement on the cost side.I'm sorry she and you are in this situation. One thing I didn't think of before is that, due to HIPPA concerns, they might not want to talk to you at all or be able to give you any information. But if she's there it's more likely they'll be able to help you out.