The Ninety-Three Thousand Dollar Helicopter Ride
Several days ago I got the most curious email. It was from a U.S. based aviation company and it read something like this:
"Hello, We are looking for the above listed people to discuss their medical treatments"
Signed with a name and company name, but no above listed people or names.
I nearly put it in spam. I knew neither Jim or I had been in the States having medical flights. Was this some sort of new spin on the Nigerian scam? But.. my curiosity got the best of me and I replied, asking who they were looking for, cringing while signing it with my real name.
Turns out they were looking for Jim and I. Me for my medivac flight during my stroke and Jim for his plane ride. The day Jim fell off the stepstool and broke his shoulder it was too stormy and windy for helicopter travel. An ambulance ride was out of the question due to the fact that he fell on Maudy Thursday and traffic between San Jose and Tamarindo was bumper to bumper. It was estimated it would have taken nine hours instead of the usual 4 to 5.
There were several shocking parts of the conversation with the company, not the least of which was that they are billing my insurance company 93,000, more than houses in some parts of the U.S. Here in CR you can get a concrete Tico home, two bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bath built for around 25 to 30 thousand dollars. I could built three Tico houses for that price.
The other shocker was how badly the air company had mismanaged this thing. Had to call the insurance company and ask them what was going on. Someone submitted my claim with checking the box for Medicare, which I don't have, I'm too young. Plus Medicare does not work here. I think I have it straightened out and they'll be paid 100% soon.
Jim's was even more laughable. When they took him by ambulance to the Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia and flew to the Tobias Bolanos airport in San Jose they completely messed up the paperwork. The company reps had to come to the hospital several times to get things signed. When this company submitted it to insurance they never bothered to include a flight report exact millage, or where they started or ended the flight.
It's all straightened out now. I've told the flight company what they need to submit to finish up with Jim and the status of mine. I have to say that staying on top of what medical is being paid here is turning into a frustrating part time job. Which leads me to ask what the heck is going on in the States in the insurance and medical billing places? I've never had such snafus like here, and it's not the things I am filing with the insurance company. Those go through and are paid quickly. But I did work in a medical office for a long stretch of time and understand how these insurance company forms must be filled out.
The one Stateside billing problem I had was the fault of the hospital's billing person. Back in the early 2000s I had a 12 week miscarriage on Christmas Day. Yeah, bummer, even more of a bummer that the very Catholic hospital billed the insurance for an abortion, on Christmas Day. All praise Him! Now that took some difficulty and many tearful phone calls to straighten out.
I think, I hope, this is now resolved.
Hoping Trump does not manage to allow insurance companies to start drop kicking people off their policies anytime soon. We'd be up the creek. Healthcare in America is so screwed up now.
"Hello, We are looking for the above listed people to discuss their medical treatments"
Signed with a name and company name, but no above listed people or names.
I nearly put it in spam. I knew neither Jim or I had been in the States having medical flights. Was this some sort of new spin on the Nigerian scam? But.. my curiosity got the best of me and I replied, asking who they were looking for, cringing while signing it with my real name.
Turns out they were looking for Jim and I. Me for my medivac flight during my stroke and Jim for his plane ride. The day Jim fell off the stepstool and broke his shoulder it was too stormy and windy for helicopter travel. An ambulance ride was out of the question due to the fact that he fell on Maudy Thursday and traffic between San Jose and Tamarindo was bumper to bumper. It was estimated it would have taken nine hours instead of the usual 4 to 5.
There were several shocking parts of the conversation with the company, not the least of which was that they are billing my insurance company 93,000, more than houses in some parts of the U.S. Here in CR you can get a concrete Tico home, two bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bath built for around 25 to 30 thousand dollars. I could built three Tico houses for that price.
The other shocker was how badly the air company had mismanaged this thing. Had to call the insurance company and ask them what was going on. Someone submitted my claim with checking the box for Medicare, which I don't have, I'm too young. Plus Medicare does not work here. I think I have it straightened out and they'll be paid 100% soon.
Jim's was even more laughable. When they took him by ambulance to the Daniel Oduber airport in Liberia and flew to the Tobias Bolanos airport in San Jose they completely messed up the paperwork. The company reps had to come to the hospital several times to get things signed. When this company submitted it to insurance they never bothered to include a flight report exact millage, or where they started or ended the flight.
It's all straightened out now. I've told the flight company what they need to submit to finish up with Jim and the status of mine. I have to say that staying on top of what medical is being paid here is turning into a frustrating part time job. Which leads me to ask what the heck is going on in the States in the insurance and medical billing places? I've never had such snafus like here, and it's not the things I am filing with the insurance company. Those go through and are paid quickly. But I did work in a medical office for a long stretch of time and understand how these insurance company forms must be filled out.
The one Stateside billing problem I had was the fault of the hospital's billing person. Back in the early 2000s I had a 12 week miscarriage on Christmas Day. Yeah, bummer, even more of a bummer that the very Catholic hospital billed the insurance for an abortion, on Christmas Day. All praise Him! Now that took some difficulty and many tearful phone calls to straighten out.
I think, I hope, this is now resolved.
Hoping Trump does not manage to allow insurance companies to start drop kicking people off their policies anytime soon. We'd be up the creek. Healthcare in America is so screwed up now.
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