Medical update.

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After half a dozen calls, some disconnects, ignorant operators, being passed around like a cheap bottle of wine by hobos, and a few people who had some kind of clue, I may have solved the $406 at time of billing a week ago as per the bill, but is now $550 dollar bill according to the woman I spoke to today, regarding the emergency visit. Uhrm, this was for 5, count them 5, stitches.

The V.A., who I called after having called the hospital's service line initially and been turned away from their automated system because neither my social security number nor the assigned account number were found in their system, sent me from office to office three times, dumping me at a message center which gave the number I was to call too quickly for me to catch. So, I called back and went through a myriad of phone centers to reach the office I had been told I was being connected with before the far too brief message was received and then being promptly disconnected. This time I spoke with a human. I asked her what the number was that I needed to call in my predicament. She gave it, then said I was already speaking with someone in that office. Okay.

So, I explain the situation and I am told that I have to report non-V.A. medical treatments immediately. But she listens as I explain that I did not know this and add the fact that the incident happened on weekend. She informs me that immediate means within 72 hours. Fine, now I know. I best keep that number on me, well, no, I will just leave it to the hospital to figure out, whatever. She looks through my file and can find no billing request from the hospital. She suggests I call them and have them submit the bill, which will be reviewed (at least paired, perhaps not accepted) by a nurse. Things did become more friendly when I said I was 100%, her files showed no previous billings like this, and her records showed something else... I heard a slight... change in her voice and her presentation to me after something specific but unmentioned, certainly after those things in total. She lightened and softened her voice and manner a good deal. Whatever.

So, I call the local hospital at which I was seen, this time I call the hospital itself and ask for billing. They do not have my social security number, they have the case filed as workman's compensation (in spite of it being a recreational firearm accident), they have nothing about a V.A. claim, they do not even have me listed as a veteran or with any connection to the V.A. in spite of my having filled out copious amounts of paperwork, them having taken photo copies of my V.A. disability card and driver's license, and having had to tell an initial interviewer secretary (guy, yuck), an initial medical screener, a second screaner, a man who did the work (a physician's assistant), an anesthesiologist, and the final reviewer of the work (a doctor I think), about my billing data and V.A. status. I guess incompetence is the new medical mode of the day.

In any case, it is between them to figure out at this point. I would be curious to know how it ends up, however I doubt I will ever be informed. My guess is the hospital is trying to stack the bill since it is the deep pockets of the government it is trying to pick, and the government in this case is already socialized medicine and so will decline the padding and probably some of the meat and give them an offer they cannot refuse... that of little or nothing. Call me a humble to entertain critter and leave off there. Let the monsters enjoy each others' throat and blood. I have popcorn and no skin in this game anymore otherwise. Oh, and the beauty, to me, to add, is that this medical network, as well, has socialized to some degree. Ha, state versus federal vampires. hahaha