I yield!

wait did i just read a request for medical fees i.e. cancer treatment, but then smack in the middle fertility treatment?!

Thank you, Grimwerk. That means a lot.

You are right that the stress of dealing with the financial aftermath has not been helping my health at all, especially since one of the things they diagnosed was that I was starting to recover from Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome. They told me to avoid stressful situations, but this is impossible when facing off with the financial nightmare afterward.

[ I wouldn't have gone to the hospital just for that, but a 'benign growth' in my throat had caused me to choke on some food (I couldn't even get water to stay down and I was dehydrating fast.) Another 'benign growth,' higher up, was impacting my breathing, causing apnea whenever I dozed off. I'd had the apnea issue for awhile, but somehow the choking issue had made it much worse. I am sssooo much better now that they've removed them both, and grateful the growths weren't deemed cancerous.]

I did catch the supervisor today and it turned out they knew perfectly well I was very broke but were hoping to force me to go into bankruptcy with my bank instead of with them. I explained that I would be unable to make payments either to them or the bank so shifting the debt over like that had no real benefit. I couldn't make payments to the bank either so I would file for bankruptcy right away - while owing them.

I also let them know that I knew the state of Virginia is - this very week - working up an 81 million fund to her hospital (and several others) to cover cases like mine who had to have emergency care with no coverage because they didn't expand that Medicaid plan (yet.) If they refuse to cover me, as broke as I am, I think the state should know about their policy before handing them that money if they won't spend it on the people (like me) who need it.

She then told me that if I filed for Medicaid anyway, and was denied, she could give me full charity coverage - 100% - bill dismissed. So off I went to file for it right away. I got her the pending letter faxed over today and the sweet lady who helped me with the application understands what is going on. She said she will try to get me that letter as soon as she can (which may still be a couple of weeks.)

So the situation is looking a whole lot better, but is not completely resolved quite yet.

I was and am absolutely serious about contacting the state government if they don't dismiss this bill. I am exactly the type of patient the fund was meant to help.


I agree completely.

Yes, I have heard about the delays in getting critical care in managed systems and I've read about some nightmarish 'providers' - but this is why I gave so much of my story.

Here's a few more details that just underline the point.

Getting prior financial approval to get critical surgical care also added months to wait time for my husband. How is that different from waiting for rationed care?

I can also tell you that the people doing my one check-up were quite awful. They were unkind, bruised my flesh, and and gave me a hematoma the size of a dollar coin.

At one point, we were required to go to their free follow-up surgical clinic, which regularly bumped unsteady surgical patients for prisoners and emergency cases brought in by police. You could wait for many hours without food or drink after arriving for your appointment, and if you didn't arrive early (knowing you'd be waiting) or left to take care of these needs, you could easily lose your place in line because the staff would look out, see that you moved, and deliberately move your listing to last. They were so bad in looking after recently released surgical cases that people collapsed / fainted while waiting for them on those horribly uncomfortable little chairs and benches. You only got a cot or couch if you did start to faint, which happened to my husband a few times. That hospital finally quit this policy, probably due to finally taking in that the threats of lawsuits I heard other patients mention was a real risk. (or maybe they lost a lawsuit and the rest of us benefited) but this horrid system changed after the second surgery so that we were given real appointment times at a regular doctor's offices to do follow-ups. This meant that later procedures were much less nightmarish.

I can't honestly see how managed care would do worse than what we have been through, and at least the financial aspect wouldn't have been hanging over our heads.

I've heard cancer treatment can cost over 200 grand...

Typical that they blamed other poor people for having to charge you so much money. They should blame the greed in this country and the irresponsible spending of money. But no...it's the evil poor people using up all our resources! In this country, people seem to love to blame poor people for everything. In our society, there are first class citizens, 2nd class citizens and 3rd class citizens.

1st class citizens - upper middle class, rich and wealthy - a small percentage
2nd class citizens - poor people
3rd class citizens - people who don't work, the homeless

And what is pathetic is most people here who aren't 1st class citizens accept all this bullshit because they hate themselves while they worship 1st class citizens like gods and goddesses. I find it funny that a lot of these people who worship those who have a lot money as gods and goddesses are Christians too. :) The 2nd class citizens and 3rd class citizens think they failed at life when really, they are just victims.

Not quite sure what to make of the second half of your post?? But regardless of all the various aspects of the situation, in the end it always leads back to failure of government.

Yes because those who have power are responsible. Why would those without power, be responsible? In the Star Trek universe, if a Federation ship gets destroyed by Klingon Bird Of Preys in Klingon space, you blame the captain of the ship for being batshit insane or retarded. You don't blame the Redshirts. :P

I just have to say this about the suing part. Some doctors need to be sued, but sadly that cost comes back to the public in some form.

I personally had doctors rush a surgery because they were leaving for vacation after the surgery, permenantly damaging and scaring tissue, so believe me when I say they should be held accountable.
That doctor didn't care at all, he was a 'machine' just there to make money, if he only took a breather and did his job right, I wouldn't now have another new life-long injury to deal with.

edit: sorry to derail a little. and yes, cat scans and mri scans are notoriously over priced too.

Those without power can be responsible - In a democracy via how they vote. But in America i know it is a bit hard to shift the governmental power with your vote. ... hence i do love that Simpsons episode whereby everyone has to vote for evil alien number one or evil alien number 2, never have i seen a better comical skit that so profoundly mocks what is precisely wrong with American democracy.

Votes don't matter at all here...but I get your point. In a real democracy, everyone is responsible if things are fucked up, not just the people in power.

Just a note to hopefully inform some of the questions raised in this discussion.

As described in the detail description on Raleigh's page, she has undergone two extensive and expensive major surgeries and six months of treatment for the cancer, which while they saved her life amassed substancial medical bills. When added to the additional surgery she will still need in the future, and the fertility treatments to allow her to possibly have children someday, these costs will be well over a hundred thousand dollars, despite having insurance. All of this in a country that is willing to see it's people suffer crippling debt or bankruptcy just to get the care they need to survive terrible illness, so that pockets can be lined.The support we are seeking for her is to help mitigate all of this, in a period of her not being able to earn income for six months due to her illness.

Raleigh is not a celebrity, nor is she or her family wealthy. She is a caring, creative person trying to use her talents and skills to do work that will bring pleasure to people and allow her to do what she loves. The support those of us around her have sought to create through this fundraising is intended to help her get back to her career and life. I pray none of you, or someone you love ever finds themselves in a similar position, or facing the kind of pain and suffering she has gracefully endured. For those of you who choose to support her in her battle, there are no words adequate to express our thanks.

Thank You,

Robert Holmes

Donated some money. Hope to hear her voice for the next Erica Reed thriller.