For the second time in a week I have been told my insurance is not going to cover my care. I settled this last week on July 2 at 2:48pm, spoke with a representative at Empire Blue Cross Blue Shield, wrote her name down and everything. I had a feeling this would happen again. It’s all a game between hospitals and insurance companies. They like to play tennis, see if one can rip a winner past the other, unfortunately patients are the ball.

I learned a few things at my last visit, I learned my brother isn’t a match, I learned that for a bone marrow search to be started it takes $6000 deposit, I learned my insurance doesn’t “cover that expense.”I learned the hospital needs it to be covered by me— no worries they take credit card.

There are people in a worse spot then me, less money, no insurance, less educated, more children, and a worse diagnosis, what do they do? I have a second plan of treatment, what if someone does not?  I asked one of the marrow match coordinators that today, she couldn’t produce an answer. I asked if at this facility, life-saving treatment was held up for money. She couldn’t answer that either.

My mother spoke to a family friend who works in hospital/insurance relations,the friend reaffirmed my suspicions.

It’s all a game, they just see if they can get you to pay, in the end they would never withold treatment, she said.

I don’t see how that makes it any better.

It’s predatory healthcare, they know the severely ill are too tired, too sick to fight a massive system. Easy prey, just roll over and take out the credit card.

And sure if you really argue, the hospital will find other routes, ” well you could apply for a grant…” They hand the already overwhelmed a thick packet of papers to go along with a thick packet of stresses, and say “fill these out.” It may sound lazy but when your sick you don’t want to go through endless paperwork, you want to get better. You know in big beuracratic systems paperwork moves from desk to desk, from pen to pen, and it all takes time. Too much time. Sick people don’t have time.

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