Better prepare-------I’m on a tear! If you are offended about my post and the facts in it so be it! First a little background: In October of 2013 I spent a week in the hospital NACOGDOCHES MEDIAL CENTER) with blood clots in both lungs. I had to get a CT scan before I was admitted to determine if the clots were there and also a ton of blood work. Then I was admitted—so I had two accounts payable. They would not combine them so I had to pay off the first one (outpatient) then start on the second one (in patient)—which I am still paying for. ($177 a month) There was some mix up with the hospital collection agency and they went two months saying I had not paid, which I had. The payments were direct from my bank and you know they did not miss a month!!! Got that straight, or so I thought. I do have health insurance. I am a retired teacher and have insurance with TRS (Teacher Retirement System) but because of financial restraints I am on the lowest rung of the ladder. Therefore my insurance is $4000 deductible a year, 80% for the next $3000. Three months ago I went to the doctor with what I suspected was clots again. So back to the hospital I go for another CT scan. They want me to pay $1500 up front! Please, if I had $1500 to give you I wouldn’t be sitting here in my recycled clothes, driving my car with 161,000+ miles, asking you to let me pay this out by the month. I offer them $150. Ha-ha, they are laughing at me but don’t let me see them. They come back with an offer for letting me have my needed medical attention for $300 up front. So I give in and pay it. Overdraft here we come! Now, three months later, my doctor is requesting another CT scan to make sure the clots are not worse and are clearing out. I get this call from NACOGDOCHES MEDICAL CENTER telling me my appointment time and that they need $3000 up front. Needless to say I am overwhelmed! I tell them I can pay $300. The lady on the phone tells me, “Let me call the business office and see what we can work out.” Ten minutes later-second call. She tells me because of my poor credit with them (WHAT?) and my outstanding balance I must pay $600. So I calmly (well, maybe not quite that calm) tell her, “Sorry, just cancel the appointment.” Her reply “Let me call the business office again and see what we can work out.” Ten minutes later—third call. “Mrs. Butler come on in and we will accept the $300 but go by the business office before you check in.” Why? So I can be told again how I cannot have a procedure done that my insurance should be taking care of and that I have offered to pay for by paying it back by the month? I taught school for 30 years. I substitute teach now to help pay the bills. I never, never was without insurance for myself and my family. No we couldn’t afford it!! But we paid it. As a result my kids wore hand me down clothes and worn shoes. We paid for everything by the month and lived from check to check. Don’t tell me you can’t afford insurance! I’ve been there and I made it possible to afford it. And don’t ask me for money to pay bills for someone who is hurt/sick and can’t “afford” insurance. People on a free medical ride are bums. I didn’t get food stamps or a Lone Star card or any government assistance. We had a large garden every year and what we couldn’t raise we ate very little of. We raised 3 kids on good food and leftovers. My kids weren’t on free meals at school and as a result they didn’t have spending money—but their classmates who got free lunches did! Explain that to a 6 year old!!! People who abuse the food system are bums. We manage to pay for life insurance so we can afford to bury each other when the time comes. So don’t ask me for money to help bury someone who has not made provisions for that inevitable event. We have never gotten welfare—though we paid for other people to get it every month. We didn’t expect the government to pay for our kids, but we paid for other peoples kids. Now we have trouble getting medical care, but we pay for other people to get it. We are not a second or third generation welfare family but we pay for people who are. These people are bums. Lastly, don’t call me prejudiced , bigoted, or any of those other names because they are not true. I taught kindergarten for 16 of those 30 years and I have wiped white noses and butts, brown noses and butts, red noses and butts, black noses and butts, and even Vietnamese noses and butts one year. I hug former students who are white, black, brown, red, and all colors in between. It’s not your color; it’s your decision to live off of other people that angers me.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Jul 2014 23:09:58 +0000
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