Budget Buster - Stupidity

[McKelly]

12:30am - can't sleep - too crabby. I had a "suspicious mole" looked at a few weeks ago. Dr. removed it. He said there were three other ones he would like to see removed, but not to worry, they would be covered under insurance. I told him, go ahead, I was so nervous there was no way he was getting me back in there, so "have at 'er!". LOL!

Anyway, he froze the four areas and I was in the doctor's office for 30 minutes, 15 of which I sat alone in the room waiting for everything to freeze up. $2800.00!! For 30 minutes!! Can you believe that!! And of course, my insurance is NOT covering it, because I haven't met my individual $3000.00 deductible. Oye, I should have looked into that before I had him remove them. 3 of the 4 could have probably be left alone, although the suspicious one was "basal cell" cancer. In my wildest dreams I would not have thought it was going to cost me close to $3000.00 for that. Geez, live and learn I guess.

Just had to vent to the DIS, since everybody else I know is sleeping!! LOL! Parents - I encourage your children to go into dermatology, it's quite profitable!

 

[chris31997]

Positive side, you are closer to your deductible

I know what you mean about a budget buster. But, my mom had skin cancer and I think that it was the best thing you could have done budget buster and all.

 

[Swimalie]

I'm with the other poster, just think of it as being closer to your deductible for the year.

 

[kacaju]

I don't think you were stupid at all. If that first one came back as basil cell, I would have hoped you would have gone back to have the other ones removed anyway.
I had basil cell on my face, anything that now pops up on my body gets removed now!!
yes, it is a lot of money...but this is your health

 

[Aliceacc]

Really positive side: you removed a series of potentially life threatening moles.

I've had radiation treatments; they're not as much fun as they're cracked up to be. My friend just finished chemo.

Trust me, the money is the leat of the issues. You did the right thing.

 

[Princesca]

That seems like a lot!

 

[Boston Tea Party]

Just had to vent to the DIS, since everybody else I know is sleeping!! LOL! Parents - I encourage your children to go into dermatology, it's quite profitable!

It's funny you say that, my daughter wants to go into medicine and our family friend is encouraging dermatology - no emergencies.


And you did the right thing.

 

[lisaross]

what difference does it make...health is more important - u should feel better u had them removed - who knows if u would meet that deductible next year - better to get them removed!

12:30am - can't sleep - too crabby. I had a "suspicious mole" looked at a few weeks ago. Dr. removed it. He said there were three other ones he would like to see removed, but not to worry, they would be covered under insurance. I told him, go ahead, I was so nervous there was no way he was getting me back in there, so "have at 'er!". LOL!

Anyway, he froze the four areas and I was in the doctor's office for 30 minutes, 15 of which I sat alone in the room waiting for everything to freeze up. $2800.00!! For 30 minutes!! Can you believe that!! And of course, my insurance is NOT covering it, because I haven't met my individual $3000.00 deductible. Oye, I should have looked into that before I had him remove them. 3 of the 4 could have probably be left alone, although the suspicious one was "basal cell" cancer. In my wildest dreams I would not have thought it was going to cost me close to $3000.00 for that. Geez, live and learn I guess.

Just had to vent to the DIS, since everybody else I know is sleeping!! LOL! Parents - I encourage your children to go into dermatology, it's quite profitable!

 

[Judique]

12:30am - can't sleep - too crabby. I had a "suspicious mole" looked at a few weeks ago. Dr. removed it. He said there were three other ones he would like to see removed, but not to worry, they would be covered under insurance. I told him, go ahead, I was so nervous there was no way he was getting me back in there, so "have at 'er!". LOL!

Anyway, he froze the four areas and I was in the doctor's office for 30 minutes, 15 of which I sat alone in the room waiting for everything to freeze up. $2800.00!! For 30 minutes!! Can you believe that!! And of course, my insurance is NOT covering it, because I haven't met my individual $3000.00 deductible. Oye, I should have looked into that before I had him remove them. 3 of the 4 could have probably be left alone, although the suspicious one was "basal cell" cancer. In my wildest dreams I would not have thought it was going to cost me close to $3000.00 for that. Geez, live and learn I guess.

Just had to vent to the DIS, since everybody else I know is sleeping!! LOL! Parents - I encourage your children to go into dermatology, it's quite profitable!

My son had 3 removed in the last month. The bill came and it was $480. I would go back and try to get the bill lowered. We thought our amount was high.

 

[brekin67]

I had several skin tags (not moles) froze off and a wart on my finger. The total cost to me was $45.
I wonder why insurance will not cover it?

 

[McKelly]

Well, I guess I know it was the right thing to do because it ended up being basal cell cancer, but holy cow the price is crazy. I don't know what I was thinking. Well, I do know what I was thinking, that it would be more along the lines of an office visit. It was listed as four separate surgeries. Why is that, because they froze it?

I guess I should have looked into it more, but when the doc said it would be covered, I just trusted that it would be covered, and never looked into the deductible amount, because after our co-pay, I usually don't pay anything for office visits.

Sigh.........I know it's my health and I needed to do it, but I am still irritated at the price tag.

Now, since I am so close to my deductible, I will have to look at what I can all get done this year, medically. Isn't it terrible that we have to think like that? Healthcare is crazy. I pay $650.00 a month just to have the insurance plan and then I have crazy high decuctibles. Oye!

 

[Cindy B]

I would double check with the insurance company. I know this doesn't help now, but I always try to double and triple check health ins. eligibility even before walking through the door of the doctors office.

I have a very strange health plan which got lots of puzzled looks by doctor office staff.

We've even had to double check with the staff how that coded office visits so they are paid correctily.. annual visits, well visits, OB GYN, etc. (those are "free"-- but other visits aren't)

And to be technical, yes the insurance covered the mole treatment, even though it was applied to the deductible.. it was still covered.

I never trust what the doctors/ office staff say about insurance eligibility... sure they will say yes we take Blue Cross, Cigna, etc.. but they don't know the exact policies of my plan.. even though it is a provider that they contract with.

I've been burned before so I check, check and recheck the eligibility before I walk in.

 

[QVCshopper]

Skin cancer can turn ugly; you did the right thing. I know at least two people who have died from it. Maybe the bill is higher because they sent them off for testing? I'd call the doctor and insurance to double check before paying anything. Good luck!

 

[mjkacmom]

Skin cancer can turn ugly; you did the right thing. I know at least two people who have died from it. Maybe the bill is higher because they sent them off for testing? I'd call the doctor and insurance to double check before paying anything. Good luck!

I think the testing is what added to the cost of the visit.

 

[akcire]

It's funny you say that, my daughter wants to go into medicine and our family friend is encouraging dermatology - no emergencies.


And you did the right thing.

If your daughter can handle it I highly suggest Endocrinology. There are a current shortage, there are a rising number of diabetics (who should all see one), and the majority of the "work" involves ordering and reading lab results.

My very good friend is an endocrinologist and has been able to write her own ticket as a doctor. She works 30 hours a week as a partner in a firm and is able to fully parent her 2 kids. Once her kids are a little older she will bump up her hours.

She has no call, and limited hospital visits.

 

[Kims09]

Is your health insurance through your employer? If so, it wouldn't be a bad idea to work with your HR Department regarding the costs. Or like a previous poster said, the insurance company itself, to make sure it was processed appropriately.
I work in an HR dept, although benefits aren't my forte. But one thing I've learned from our benefits specialist is that claims are incorrectly coded quite often, which in turn negatively effects our employee's pocket books. Some employees will come to our benefit specialist to question the amount their EOB states that they are responsible for. There have been several occasions where errors have been found, the claims processor is contacted and the error is reversed.
At the very least, it can't hurt to check into it a little deeper.

 

[luvtheBuzz]

I would do as others have suggested, contact your insurance company. The cost sounds quite high to me. I'd also contact the doctor if the insurance company is fine with the billing. Tell him what you've been charged and see if he won't knock the price down some for you.

As for having it done, you did the right thing to have those moles removed. I have had numerous moles removed since my first suspicious one was removed. The first one I had removed ended up being melanoma which was thankfully caught very early on. So, be thankful yours was just basal cell and you had it removed.

 

[GinnyEmma]

I think you have the right idea. Colonoscopy, mamagram, etc., can all be done this year! Lucky you!

I know it sucks and I would go ask them to allow you to pay only what the insurance would have paid.

 

[ceecee]

Money isn't the issue, the issue is your health! $3000 is a drop in the bucket for what some people are paying for cancer tx. Be glad you caught them in time and got all of them off. You needed to get it done and that's the deductible so now you have it paid for the year.

 

[jwfla422]

After you speak to your insurance provider ask them if they have discounted rates with the doctor you saw (even though you haven't met your deductable prior they still can provide a percentage off of the doctor's cost if the amount you already have been charged isn't a discounted rate).

Contact the billing staff at the dermatologist and ask them if they gave you the insurance company's discounted rate. If they don't discount the amount, ask the billing person what the cash cost is. You may be able to negotiate the cost down at least a bit.

Of course, the bottom line is what other posters mentioned is your health is first. I'm sure your doctor would do a payment plan if necessary. These days anyway they can get paid usually works. Good luck to you.