Medical Debt

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
Medical Debt
11
Fri, 04-09-2010 - 6:08pm

I got out of credit card debt just to get right back into it again! ARGH! I have doctors appointments coming out of my ears and I'm starting to wonder if my thoughts that this year would be the year that we'd get our health back on track wasn't a self-fulfilling prophecy of doom!

I made 4 doctors appointments today and even though we have health insurance, they aren't free! My youngest has already been to the doctor twice this week. He has thrush and a viral infection that causes mouth sores. Plus we had some circumcision issues! What a joy! So there's $40 dollars in copays. Then I went in to get my THS (thyroid) level checked and my insurance has crappy lab coverage. They charge it as a surgical procedure to stick me in the arm with a needle! I just finished paying off my middle childs adenoid surgery (which was about $600 dollars) and now my doctor is telling me that my youngest child may need the same surgery. He has all the same issues, plus he has clear fluid in his ears at all times and this could be causing his delayed speech. I scheduled a hearing test and we'll have his adenoids checked too. That entails an X-Ray which is another thing I'll have to pay for. To top it all off, my THS levels came back as high so the doctor called in another prescription ($10) and I have another lab test in 2 months and then a follow-up doctors appointment.

But wait!!! That's not all! My husband has a lot of dental work on his horizon. He needs a perio treatment (horrible since he's only 30. He hates the dentist and has avoided them for over 5 years) but if he wants to keep his teeth, he needs to get this done and it's going to cost us $700 dollars even with the insurance coverage. After that he needs a root canal and we have to decide whether to give him a bridge or to just leave him without one of his teeth. At this point, I feel like saying "Just live without the tooth, because you can't seem to take care of the ones you have anyway!"

I filled out a few credit applications today for the dental work and after being declined twice, we were given a credit card with a $1500 dollar credit line. I'm sure we'll get the highest interest rate, which is %24.99. But what am I supposed to do! I mean, dentures are much more expensive! And he's only 30! I'm at my wits end.

So all in all, I'm pretty frustrated today. I'm just feeling like the struggle never ends! And I forgot to mention that my oldest child needs 2 baby teeth pulled. I'm sure that will cost me some money too.

Hopefully I'll reach my $1500 dollar family deductible this year. I don't know how that works, but aren't things supposed to be cheaper after that?


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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-05-2006
In reply to: abigailnh2
Tue, 04-13-2010 - 8:39pm

I was thinking about that as well. I need to call some dental schools and see if we could get this done cheaper! I'm going to do some research right now!!

Thanks!


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