LadyLore,

You should be able to get that bill reduced by more than half, but you've got to be persistent and stubborn. If you didn't have insurance and you told them you didn't, then they should automatically put you on Charity Care or you should apply for it, ask about it, be smart, be persistent, fight, ask for help.

There are for-profit companies that specialize in reviewing hospital bills for errors. These medical billing advocates are located in Colorado:

Highlands Ranch: Medical Billing Advocates of Colorado, Call 303-638-3754

Loveland: Medical Billing Advocacy of the Rockies, LLC, Call 970-663-1735

In order to prevent future medical bills, take advantage of programs that are geared toward low income families. For pregnant mothers, Catholic Charities of Colorado Springs can assist with prenatal education and pregnancy counseling.

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing provides Child Health Plan Plus programs and serves low-income families, including those with disabilities. Call (303) 866-2993.

They will lower your bill if you talk to the hospital billing. Then they set up a payment plan. Small consolation, I suppose I but have done that myself. (I fainted once in public. There happened to be paramedics there who called the police forcing me to go into the ambulance.) The ambulance charged me over $900. With the hospital ER my bill was reduced to $1500 if I made regular payments. During this time I found out it was cheaper to eat breakfast at the hospital rather than anywhere else (except home). But more importantly, they had ruled out a whole array of things that could have been wrong with me. This was the silver lining. There was nothing wrong with me other than I was depriving myself of adequate rest and dealing with sub-zero temperatures at the time and still was recovering from the flu that I had days before. Since they ruled out a whole array of things including getting an ekg, I could therefore know that I was in basically very good health.

PS: I was in the same Colorado hospital system as you by the way.

You could go ahead and use a pillow in order to look fat for a while.

Just hang in there. You will get past this! (Live and learn.)

Lore,

After my incident I looked into the pricing of hospitals and found that this wasn't too bad as far as others were concerned. It was kind of middle of the road, I guess. (And they did tell me my blood sugar was a little high but not in the pre-diabetic range.) I also happen to know a lot of more or less homeless people that make $5 a month payments on astronomical bills that they know they'll never be able to pay off in full during the course of their lifetime. Others that I know have stitched themselves up their own selves and have set their own bones rather than going to the hospital. Many pull their own teeth themselves with some "help". Bleeding, infection, and shock are the main things to worry about. And rest. Something the hospital never warns you about is about morphine or oxycotin etc. Once you have no more of it you need to get off of it immediately and experience the withdrawal symptoms right away. Many of us are much worse than others in having secondary symptoms and so end up being "sick" after we are "well", mainly with depression. Symptoms: the shits, shivers, sweats, spasms, sleeplessness, sleepfulness, stomach heaving, "saudade" (homesick heartaching depression). Then after that you are well again. Good luck.

Yeah, this is why while I agreed with others that seeing a doctor was sound unfortunately in the US financial factors come into play. Think of how many people are in even worse situations than you (imagine being poor and diagnosed with cancer or something). And the whole thing about just not paying, or paying much less only works if you're truly destitute -- you're most screwed when you have a bit of money because they can legally take all of it before you get to the point of them covering the basic care for free. Also, if you're like most people, you generally feel bad not paying bills (even if they are excessive) because being a deadbeat just feels wrong.

Anyway, in general the body does wonders with healing. I would stick it out, except for watching for infection. Infection you definitely want to treat, but even then you probably want to go low-key -- i.e. go to a cheap/free clinic and get strong antibiotics prescribed. Emergency can be good if you are truly destitute (because they have to accept you by law) but otherwise Emergency is usually much more expensive. You may actually want to consider going to Mexico for treatment if you can somehow weather a roadtrip (doesn't sound like you're in shape for plane travel).

I've had huge haematomas before from various abuses (mostly skewering the testicle) and like you said it becomes like a grapefruit, literally, in size. However, it does in fact eventually heal (i.e. where it is bleeding from) and then reaborbs. It is certainly a very slow process though.

Anyway, my love and concern is with you.

SD

Update: Been calling around using the resources provided to try and find a urologist to treat me, getting the run around with nothing to show for it. Same condition I've been in. Out of pain meds so just dealing with it. Really wishing someone would just spare the office time to see me instead of telling me to go to the ER.

Try just one more: http://www.gicofcolo.org/ or call 303-202-6466. Plead for help, explain your situation. Cry if need be. Take care!

Doctor up in Denver just called back. wants me in the office ASAP. No scrutinizing questions, just, 'get in here.' Nice to feel like my life has value

LadyLore (imported) wrote: Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:16 am Doctor up in Denver just called back. wants me in the office ASAP. No scrutinizing questions, just, 'get in here.' Nice to feel like my life has value

Well... Your life does have value, at least to us. We're concerned and worried about you.

Good luck with the Denver Doc. We'll all take a sigh of relief once you've got the proper medical care for your wound.

Keep us posted.

LadyLore (imported) wrote: Sat Jun 16, 2012 6:16 am Doctor up in Denver just called back. wants me in the office ASAP. No scrutinizing questions, just, 'get in here.' Nice to feel like my life has value

Very Glad for you Good Luck

_g

Yes, Best of luck to you, it will all be good. Keep positive thoughts.

Ken