I give up

I'm tired of fighting with my insurance company. Maybe it's time to throw in the towel. Surrender. After all, I have my life. I have a bionic boob. I have all my limbs (a relative is facing potential amputation in the face of cancer). I have all my hair. I only owe roughly $200 at this point.

The hospital had lost, then found, $2,000 that I paid so that battle is over. There was no acknowledgement of their error. Certainly no apology for the aggravation it caused.

I have a while before my account goes to collections. That was another headache: I waited so long for a claim to be paid that my account went to collections. I paid the outstanding $113 but - long story short - I continued to be harassed for money, again, I no longer owed. That's been cleared up now.

I have a couple of appeals still out there for the remaining $200. I doubt things will change. I'll wait just to see but I might not have any fight left. They win.

I have some forms to submit a grievance with the state. I'll review those and consider making a complaint at the very least. I won't expect any financial recovery. Last year I paid about $1,400 over my maximum out-of-pocket of $6,900. I don't think I'll get any of that back even though those services were medically necessary and should be covered by my insurance, imo.

I learned from last year. So far this year, I'm only $200 over my out-of-pocket maximum (of $7k). The hospital found the money they lost. The collections company has recorded the money I paid and closed that account. Theoretically, I only have two more follow-up appointments with my doctor that are theoretically covered.

It's not so much about the money. It's the principle. No cancer patient should have to fight their insurance company to cover legitimate claims. Cancer patients are already fighting a battle. 

No patient should have to fight to have their claims paid. I can't imagine what it's like for people who have no insurance, no education, no means to absorb what insurance doesn't cover. It makes me sad. And mad. Hours of phone calls. Literally, hundreds of pages of paper. (I'm looking at them right now. There's at least 500 pages there.) 

I have to remember to be grateful because, in the end, I'm one of the lucky ones.