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Topic: Cost of a car wreck (Read 311 times) |
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BobG
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Cost of a car wreck
« on: Mar 4th, 2006, 5:43pm » |
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This is an e-mail from one of our Clusterheads. I can’t say who because I didn’t ask permission to copy and paste this. It’s about the cost of a car wreck.
Would you believe....????.....
1. While in UMC hospital, I racked up a $82.04 long distance phone bill for a total of only 10, yes-you read that # correctly....TEN, phone calls...!....? Unbelievable.....! $4.50 1st minute, .45 cents thereafter.
The invoice actually includes what I consider a sarcastic written remark stating "by using the TMS long distance calling program you saved up to $154.61 (66%) compared to operator assisted rates"........unbelievable racket!!!
2. Would you believe that an ambulance ride cost...$665 basic charge, then $18.82 per mile....39 miles....total $1398.08. Glad I have the health insurance to pay for this invoice just received.
3. Would you believe the DISCOUNTED PRICE (before insurance deductible is met) of an antibiotic (14 pills) prescription cost $846.88....no kidding!
4. Still haven't received bills for....the hospital bill (am told to expect $150,000 to $200,000 estimate), nor have I received dozens of individual physician's bills, nor have I received the X-ray bills, treatments such as CAT scan/MRI, etc., IV/oxygen & other medications, physical therapy visits (three times per week for 3 months minimum), etc.....Good news is that ALL OF THESE CHARGES (except long distance phone from hospital bed) will be reduced to $1,500 deductible....good idea I bought health insurance, huh?
5. Would you believe no treatment can be done for my 8 broken ribs nor my 5 cracked back vertebrae...just a matter of timing and patience. In other words, the typical broken bone that is re-set, placed in a cast, etc. is not an option for the ribs or spine. Frustrating, very painful and time-consuming!!! At least my right lung is inflated again to normal and slowly strengthening/progressing to normal.
Something I should have purchased was short term disability & long term disability, as I will lose out on potential income for at least 3 months and most probably will have to give up my career due to lack of savings unless I can find someone to invest in me/my business. This means I also will not be able to afford my home i've had for almost 10 years now that most of you have visited. Most American's live paycheck to paycheck. At least I had my bills current and 2 small real estate transactions working, but geez, this is truly a test of life!!!
This tragedy made me think at least twice about many aspects of insurance, wills, patient advocates, etc. Hopefully my unfortunate experience will help educate those of you who may not have all of your "ducks in a row" to prevent the "aftermath" from happening to you.
Bottom line is...we never know what tomorrow may bring, as there is no guarantee on tomorrow. I'm going to slowly walk to my backyard and sit by my swimming pool now and enjoy 4 free wonderful things I did not have in the hospital that most of us take for granted....1. Fresh air. 2. Sunshine. 3. Blue skies. 4. The pretty sounds of chirping birds. Have a fun weekend!
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Stay stressed. Never relax. Never sleep. Ever.
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_Lee_
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #1 on: Mar 4th, 2006, 7:46pm » |
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I can believe the broken ribs, they used to put you in a soft upper body cast thing but not anymore. I had to sleep setting up in a a chair for 6 weeks before I could ever think of lying in a bed and pain meds were out out the question. I refused the MRI due to the cost and X-rays had already shown the problem. I escaped the ambulance ride and the hospital stay thank goodness.
Geese what a bunch of shit.
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chewy
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So is your story.
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Opus
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #3 on: Mar 4th, 2006, 8:03pm » |
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Glad I live in NY, all car related injuries get paid but the victims car insurance 100%. They also have a lost wages package that is mandatory, but I don't know how good it is. Your bills will be paid but you will never be able to afford car insurance again 
Opus/Paul
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Zed-Zed-nine plural-Zed alpha,
There is no place like home.
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Sean_C
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on Mar 4th, 2006, 7:48pm, chewy wrote:
LMMFAO Chewy 
Bob I read it and I believe it. Thats why our insurance rates are where they are.
Sean.............................
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| « Last Edit: Mar 4th, 2006, 9:52pm by Sean_C » |
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Melissa
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At the beginning of last year, we opted to purchase additional insurance for Jesse (my hubby, and it also covers the rest of us too) in case he were to have an accident (even as small as a cut finger!). It is $65 a month, but if something were to happen to him, it'll cover everything for us like cash in the bank.
I used to sell travel insurance and also took classes in attempts to get licensed. Was very very hard, and didn't pass my tests, but learned a TON about how important it is to have it, so you CAN relax and have a nice cool one by the pool. 
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BobG
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #6 on: Mar 4th, 2006, 8:38pm » |
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on Mar 4th, 2006, 8:17pm, Sean_C wrote:
ROTFLMMFAO
Bob I read it and I believe it. Thats why our insurance rates are where they are.
Sean............................. |
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I think chewy's remark was aimed and _Lee_.
The post I made was a copy/paste of an e-amail I received from a Clusterhead that lives in Vegas and has posted here many times.
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chewy
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It was.
(on the other hand. You do live in Vegas??)
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BobG
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #8 on: Mar 4th, 2006, 9:48pm » |
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Yep, but it wasn't me in the wreck. I'm alive and well in the Hendertucky part of town.
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Sean_C
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on Mar 4th, 2006, 8:38pm, BobG wrote:
I think chewy's remark was aimed and _Lee_.
The post I made was a copy/paste of an e-amail I received from a Clusterhead that lives in Vegas and has posted here many times. |
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I was laughing at what Chewy said Bob, not at your post bud.
Sorry for the screw up
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chewy
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Quote:
ROFLMMFAO!
Anywhere near Freemontville? The leader in Social Services.
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| « Last Edit: Mar 4th, 2006, 9:54pm by chewy » |
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_Lee_
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #11 on: Mar 4th, 2006, 10:27pm » |
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on Mar 4th, 2006, 7:48pm, chewy wrote:
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Don, you ever think about getting a hobby, kiddy porn, model airplanes or not countering every single post i make?
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Sean_C
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on Mar 4th, 2006, 10:27pm, _Lee_ wrote:
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Don, you ever think about getting a hobby, kiddy porn, model airplanes or not countering every single post i make?
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I can tell the bottles almost empty, nitey nite _lee_
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BobG
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #13 on: Mar 4th, 2006, 10:43pm » |
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on Mar 4th, 2006, 9:53pm, chewy wrote:
Anywhere near Freemontville? The leader in Social Services. |
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No. I be to fuckin' hi-brow for dem folks.
Social Services? LMAO. And Social Diseases. 
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mynm156
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #14 on: Mar 4th, 2006, 11:57pm » |
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Oh YEah I hope that they had insurance. You see what they hospital CHARGES and what they GET are two different things. They might charge $800 for 14 pills but they will only get $100 if you have insurance those bills dont mean squat. Now if you dont its worth it to try and find out what thier payment rates are like because its not REALLY legal for them or doctors to charge anybody any different than anybody else. (I HAVE WORKED IN HOSPITAL AND ADMINISTRATION 13years)
PFDAYS AHEAD 4 US ALL
MYNM156
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Jonny
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #15 on: Mar 5th, 2006, 2:45am » |
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on Mar 4th, 2006, 10:30pm, Sean_C wrote:I can tell the bottles almost empty, nitey nite _lee_
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LMMFAO!!!
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It is up to YOU to educate yourself and then help your doctor plan your treatment. If you just sit down in front of your doctor and say "make me better" you are setting yourself up for a great deal of pain.
- Guiseppi
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tanner
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #16 on: Mar 5th, 2006, 3:47am » |
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Oh boy do I believe it!
My neuro wanted me to go for disability 2 years ago based solely on my clusters and the fact that I have hep c making treatment somewhat problematic, however like the beautiful Linda Howell I had found a way to do what many would find to be menial labor in order to keep working around my ha's.
A little over a year ago I had an accident on the job that basically made my bottom three disks disappear with all of the lovely extras that go along with that kind of injury. I collected my workman's comp check for the three months it took to do everything that the assorted doctors and physical therapists could suggest until they found me to be at maximum medical benefit a magical term! I then voluntarily had workman's comp remove the benefit as I did not feel right about sitting on my arse and being on the dole as long as Linda and I could keep our heads above water.
Now its a year later and the orthopedic surgeon (provided by workman's comp) still has not released me to any form of work status, and to be honest I am not sure at this time exactly what I can do to be gainfully employed.
So I am waiting in limbo for my doctors versus their doctors to convince workman's comp that they need to accept responsibility for the surgeries that they estimate cost in the neighborhood of 1/2 a million dollars. and I still have not elected to go back on the monthly payments.
$500,000 for something that might 50/50 aleviate the back, legs, hip and ass pain!
It's an amazing time we live in
.............................tim
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I AM THE MASTER OF MY MIND, MY BODY, AND MY EMOTIONS...
it's just my head that sucks...http://www.centerforlit.com/
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cootie
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #17 on: Mar 5th, 2006, 2:22pm » |
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Why do ya think I am such a mess......I got hurt and wouldn't go to the hospital.....I knew the bills would kill us and who knows if they could of done anything. Course now I realize a few of my horse wrecks were serious enuff it shoulda been looked at but......I saved us lots of grief lettin it go.....I'm tough. So I go in cuz I break my foot a year ago late at nite and was advised I really needed to go.......it still moved and made crunchin noises. So against my OWN BETTER JUDGEMENT I take my ass to the hospital after talkin to the docs office.....they were RUDE and told me to go get it looked at. Holy crap in hell.........I am still gettin bills for it and I dunno what the hell they are !!!!! I got about 6 bills.....then was sent to an ortho doc that kept exrayin sayin YUP it's broke and to come back in 4 to 6 weeks for the same thing ! Dam foot still hurt and swelled and was all black.....spiral breaks are bad. So......bout 900 bucks later my foot STILL freakin hurts and swells and I can't get anyone to really explain all these bills. I got billed for exray company's that read the exrays the doctors read to show me and talk to me about. Huh ? One bill is for chest exrays I NEVER EVER HAD........they said maybe sumone write down the wrong word ? Yeah......chest.....oops I mean FOOT answer Pam
When I tore my ribs off the front all on one side (flew out of the saddle and came down on the saddle horn as a shish-ka-cootie) you could hear them rip off like a big zipper when the horse bolted and thrust forward to run. They didn't do nothin for them.......wrapin em makes ya breath more shallow and pnemonia sets in. I had to keep putt my ribs back in place for a while till they reattatched cuz they'd pop and move and wad up. That was disgusting.....but.......I did a fine job stickin em back each time. I make alot of pop noises when I move these days........sounds like I'm eatin fruit loops when I walk. Thinkin bout checkin into side shows............... 
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Cause and Effect......"Cause is the effect concealed, Effect is the cause revealed"
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Dragnlance
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #18 on: Mar 5th, 2006, 2:24pm » |
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Quote:| Why do ya think I am such a mess |
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silly me.... I thought it was because you are brain damaged, like the rest of us
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Charlie
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Re: Cost of a car wreck
« Reply #19 on: Mar 5th, 2006, 7:23pm » |
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Yikes.
What a horror story.
Charlie
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There is nothing more satisfying than being shot at without result---Winston Churchill
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