Friday, August 14, 2009

I have health insurance, but why?

Today I opened my mailbox to find the bill for Tyler's physical on June 25th. I knew I'd have to make an additional payment due to his four vaccinations, but I just wasn't prepared for the amount that I was told to pay. Yikes!

Now we do have health insurance and we pay a "reasonable" rate according to other people, especially listening to elderly and medically fragile people talk. However, I'd like to think that a physical for a healthy 12 year old boy wouldn't cost me the amount I'd plan to spend on his school clothing and supplies for the upcoming school year.

Here's a breakdown of a 45 minute physical at the doctor's office on "Physical Day" where you are in and out along with many others that day...

$152 for the well child check-up
Maybe this is reasonable since they have the "turn your head and cough" procedure. But we did see a physician assistant and not a doctor. I could have/should have called the number in the paper I saw for a $50 school physical. I wonder if we would have seen a doctor at that clinic?

$368 for the four vaccinations
This includes: Varicella booster, Meningococcal Conjugate, Hepatitis A (pricey one) and Tdap.
Wow! This just blows my mind and I could have/should have just gone to the County Health Department for free shots regardless of a who you are. This isn't my favorite option since it's a hassle and they make me feel guilty about going when we do have insurance. I've done this before with two of my three kids when they were infants.

$92 for giving the vaccinations
I would have given it my best try to administer those shots myself. I am sure Tyler would not have minded. Don't you think? Now that would have been free also!

My insurance is willing to pay $283.12 for this bill. I paid the $20 co-pay when I entered the doctor's office in June and am left to pay the remaining $303.88. I do know this could be worse, but this is just one example why I think our nation's health care needs some kind of reform. I am not a political person, and don't know all the in's and out's of what's happening in Washington, but something needs to be done. Ridiculous!

Okay...I am done whining. The physical could have been worse. Tyler could have been born with a cervix and who knows how much that Gardasil vaccination would have cost me! :)

5 comments:

Jill said...

Wow! Too bad health insurance doesn't work like a used car dealership. Then, maybe they'd have thrown in the upcoming swine flu shot, too!

Tracey said...

Ugh! I bet you about went through the roof when you opened that bill. That just seems ludicrous.

mamahasspoken said...

Wow my mouth is wide open in shock at how much you have to pay. With my health insurance, I would have had to pay the $10.00 co-pay but that would have been it. I have the insurance that they offer state education employees and do pay dearly for it. Have others who work in Ohio tell me that their insurance is a lot better. But now I can tell them how mine is better than yours!

Amy said...

I've met my deductible on Tyler, but the cost of a physical being over $600 is just crazy!

Mindee said...

Bummer Amy! They should tell you all that up front!