Where Does the Money Go?

Insurance Premium from 1/10 to 7/10: 1167.90 Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield
My Portion is the $ amount in ( ) at the end:
10/19/2009 Co-pay for visit/x-ray: 30 Iowa Clinic
10/20/2009 Co-pay for CT Scan 30 Iowa Clinic
CT Scan full charge 730 (512.00)
10/22/2009 CT Scan/diagnosis? 582 Iowa Clinic (496.00)
11/17/2009 Consult w/Pulmonologist 120 CIC (100.00)
11/17/2009 More charges??? for CIC 402 CIC (62.50)
11/19/2009 Follow up w/Pulmonologist 95 CIC ( 95.00)
11/30/2009 Lung Needle Biopsy 5881.42 Mercy Med (892.20)
11/30/2009 Pathology Report for Biopsy 842.00 Path Assoc. (175.60)
12/04/2009 PET scan 4211 PET Co LLC (2097.00)
12/07/2009 Consult w/surgeon 162 Iowa Clinic (50.00)
12/11/2009 Iowa Radiology 29 Prof. Component? (6.20)
12/12/2009 IA Radiology 36 Prof. Component (7.80)

12/11/2009 Anesthesiologist 3120 For Surgery (0)
12/11/2009 Surgery 3020 Surgeon (0)
12/18/2009 Visit from Chemo Doc 141 Dr. Morton (0)
12/17/2009 " " " 97 " " (0)
12/16/2009 " " " 141 " " (0)
12/15/2009 " " " 141 " " (0)
12/15/2009 Visit from Radiation Doc 447 Dr. T (113.60)
12/11-12/18/2009 Hospital Stay 45,988 Misc. Hosp. (440.70)

12/16/2009 IA Radiology 516 Prof. Component (83.60)

So far, my bills total about $5200 for my portion. Thank Heaven for insurance. When I got this insurance, I just wanted to make sure that my yearly physical was paid for. Shoot! I never in a million years thought I would ever USE it for anything more than well care.

My thought: there is something wrong with insurance vs. self-pay. If you have insurance, you get all these discounts; for instance, the hospital charged $45,988 but there was a network savings because of insurance of $27,309 so the health plan only had to pay $18,239. But, if I had NOT had insurance, I would have had to pay the full $45,988. That is why I say: Thank Heaven for insurance! Even with a $2500 deductible as well as $2300 yearly premium....

I do believe the above may be all the bills I receive. I may have some follow up from the surgery, and of course, I will get hospital charges for the chemo and radiation once that is finished. I have no idea how much 6 months of radiation and chemo will cost. I know that since it is a "new year", I will have to meet the $2500 deductible again.

Have a wonderful day.

1/21/2010
5:09 a.m.