I did something stupid at 3 AM on Sunday. I heard a sound I could not identify and
decided to get out of bed and explore the house. In retrospect, I’m pretty sure the noise was
coming from outside through the open bedroom window. But, I wasn’t sufficiently convinced of that
to stop my exploration. Finding nothing
amiss on the main floor, I decided to check out the lower level…we did just get
a new furnace.
I must have stepped off the top step as I reached for the
light switch, and the next thing I knew I had tumbled down two steps to the
landing that goes into the garage. Both
of my ankles rolled, and I heard a snapping sound first in the left one and
then in the right. My husband heard me
cry out and came running to pick me up.
First decision: Do I go
to the ER in the middle of the night or do I crawl back into bed? Is this a life-threatening situation? No…it is not.
Can I bear weight? It is painful,
but I can hobble back to bed. Is
anything to be gained by rushing to the ER now as opposed to evaluating the
situation in the light of day? Nothing…except
a whole lot of expense! Seeking care at
an ER when you could receive the same care at a doctor’s office or urgent care
is a bad financial decision. You may
argue, “But, I have insurance.” Right,
but you pay for that insurance, and choosing to use a more expensive type of
care does effect what we pay in the long run.
So in the morning, I still had pain on weight-bearing and with
flexion, extension and toe-curling. But,
it was Sunday. Can I wait until
tomorrow? Sure. I will take some naproxen and spend the day
with my feet up. Once again…this is not
a life-threatening situation. If you are
having chest pain, for goodness sake, go to the ER! In fact, call an ambulance to get there.
Today I went to an orthopedic doctor and had X-rays. There wasn’t much choice about that. The evaluation was necessary. No fractures showed up on the X-rays, but the
doctor said both ankles were sprained and ordered a brace. She suggested that I could get one brace and
alternate back and forth between the two ankles or get two braces. I was told they would call my insurance
company….it will only take a few minutes….and a nurse would come back with the
brace.
Several issues emerged.
They were short-staffed and unable to make the call right away. Could I come back and get the brace later in
the day. In the process of trying to
decide that, I asked how much the brace was going to cost. I have seen ankle braces in drug stores for
less than $30, and we would pass a drug store on the way home. The answer:
$125. What?! Can I see the brace? Sure.
It had quite a bit to it….laces, Velcro straps, plastic stays in the
side to stabilize the ankle…but still….$125?
The nurse then suggested she could give me a paper prescription
and I could take it to a drug store or medical supply company. That struck me as a good idea, because I
could comparison shop. When she gave me
the paper prescription, it specified a left ankle brace. So…if the right and left are different, how
am I going to alternate back and forth?
We stopped at a drug store on the way home. They did not have the specific brace
prescribed but had one for $17.99. I
figured that was good enough for the ankle that was the least injured, so I got
it. My husband suggested that I wear it
on the most injured side for a bit and see if it helped adequately. If it did, he would go back and get a second
one. I decided it didn’t support well
enough for the more injured ankle, but it was fine for the lesser injured
ankle. Then I started to make phone
calls.
One orthopedic supply business had them in stock, but they
would cost $94 and I would have to pay it and try to bill the insurance company
myself.
Another medical supply business, had them in stock, but did not
participate with my insurance. However,
I could buy one for $45.
A third place, a drug store, admitted that they bill insurance
companies a bit over $100 for the brace, and would sell it to me for $95
dollars if I came in with a prescription, but have the identical thing on a
rack out in the store for $45. No
prescription required.
I suppose most people would obtain this brace in some way that
guarantees the insurance company is billed.
I paid the $45 because I can’t stand the rip-off of the same item being billed
for as much as $125. Of course, I wouldn’t
have known any of this except that the doctor’s office was too short staffed to
get the authorization immediately. That
is the only thing that caused me to start asking questions.
I am certain this sort of thing happens all the time. Medical care costs way more than it needs to
cost. We are not wise consumers. Why on earth would you pay $125 for anything
you can get for $45?
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