My Ablation Bill

[HarryIII]

My recent ablation at Bayonet Point, Florida for flutter cost:

Doctor - $4,245.00
Hospital - $50,893.80

WOW WEE!

Harry

[BionicBabe]

Something has got to change in this country (U.S.A.) I am tired of paying a third of my salary in taxes for which a big chunk goes to operations I don't support. I would be perfectly happy paying much higher taxes if I didn't have to worry about the possiblity of someday being without health insurance.

With my recent diagnosis and treatments and the way the health care industry works now in the U.S., I highly doubt I will ever be able to purchase my own insurance if I need to. One of my biggest worries now is health insurance and what will happen if my husband nor I are able to get insured through our respective employers.  

Harry, my bill for 2-day hospital stay including cardiac cath, EP and implant of ICD came to over 200,000. Thank God it was fully covered by insurance. I was scared for two months that I would get a call or letter from insurer saying there was some reason why they wouldn't cover it. That may be paranoia due to seeing Michael Moore's movie, Sicko, which although sensationalistic, was very informative.

[Momto3]

Sounds like Alberta, Canada has a great system!!  

Did you even get back on the ablation list?  

Hope the boys are doing well.  

connie

[kmaldo]

I live in Alberta, Canada and we pay 5% on nearly everything that we buy except for food.  As for income tax, as a teacher, I make roughly $65 000 a year and of that, I pay about $10 000 in income tax.  But there are lots of tax exemptions to claim too.  This past April, I got over $6000 of that back.  We also pay $88 a month here in Alberta for health care premiums but that is going to end in Jan of 2009.  I have health insurance through my employer which pays for prescriptions, most dental work and other things like massage therapy, physical therapy, chiropractor, etc.  It's a pretty good system.  You really don't have to wait that long most of the time.  I was put on a wait list for the ablation and it took 2 years for me to get a date but I had to cancel as I was pregnant again by that time! lol  But my boys both have kidney disorders and required G-tube (feeding tubes in their stomachs)  They have IV type pumps and all of their med supplies (syringes, foam, creams, pump bags) are fully covered, we don't pay for anything.  I think we have a pretty great system here in Canada.  I've never heard of anyone not getting a surgery or treatment when it was really necessary.

[Momto3]

It's hard to believe that people living in the United States can be denied health care.  I'm hoping we come to some resolution so that all of us can enjoy the best that medicine has to offer.

Thanks for sharing the information about France...very interesting!

[woodruff]

Over the years, we have had occasion to talk with my husband's French cousins about their 'socialized' medicine, and even to experience it once ourselves.  Their tax burden is indeed high, but everyone--everyone--has basic coverage (they can buy more if they can personally afford it), cradle to grave.  They feel the cost is fair and consider their money well spent in that department, while marveling that other western nations are content to let so many of their citizens, especially children and the elderly, suffer without health care.

[sueinns]

I can tell you from my personal experience that I had excellent medical care and I do believe most Canadians are satisfied.  My sister-in-law was diagnosed with cancer last year and her treatment has been exemplary.  However, there are still problems and long waits for certain procedures like joint replacement.  We have a shortage of some specialists, nurses and other medical personnel.  

I agree with you that it is a complex issue and there is no easy answer.  

[Momto3]

WOW!!  Our "tax free status" is estimated to be May 15th. I thought THAT was a long time!

Do you think the average Canadian is satisfied with the current system?  I'm just curious since we are likely going to face changes in the future of our health care system.  If you have health insurance, it ranges from adequate to excellent, with most falling in between.  Absent health insurance, there is genuine concern over whether or not patients are provided the same level of care offered to insured patients.  I really don't know what the answer is.....a very complex problem for this country.

Thanks for the explanation : )

[sueinns]

Like the US, sales tax here in Canada varies from province to province.  Income tax can be very high, depending on your income.  People who have lower incomes pay next to no tax.  Then there's municipal or property taxes.

For the average Canadian, our tax free status started about two weeks ago.  That means that every cent earned from Jan 1st to mid-June was the amount most Canadians will have paid in taxes for the full year.  That works out to be over 50% of our income.

So yeh, it costs an awful lot of money for national health care.

[Momto3]

I really think that's where we fall between the cracks on the "insurance tables".  Our "heart problem" can be fixed, but we're labeled as though we have true heart disease.

As you say, pg1949, thank goodness you are able to afford the health care.  I also think it's odd that we will all (most of us in the U.S. anyway) need to purchase supplemental policies.....oy vey!  Retirement used to be a time when our lives would be a bit more settled.  Now, with medical and insurance costs so high, it's actually a more stressful time...

Kudos to you on your early retirement!!

[pg1949]

My hubby & I retired early (52), so we pay for private health care insurance.  My ablation was over $50,000.  After a write-off, they paid the rest after I paid my deductible.  Here's the thing...my monthly insurance rate went up $110 a month because I am now a patient with heart trouble.  It doesn't matter that it's fixed, with only a 2% chance of returning.  I'm now labeled and have to pay more.  Just glad I can still afford insurance, at least for another year!!  

[lagoya]

holy flipin heck no wonder people are\ afaid to go for ablations lol
i bet its worth every penny/cent
god bless insurance

[Momto3]

Thanks for the info!!  My husband works for a Danish company and they are all about team building and striving for a low key atmosphere.  The company hosts ice cream socials, picnics, a farmer's market and a "day at the beach" (they bring in sand!) and other events.  They serve soda and beer at many of these company "events".  So different from the American companies we have worked for......

Interesting on the medical care and education.....especially for college classes!  I wonder how long it takes the average student to complete a 4 year degree.  I'll have to ask about that...lol

It will certainly be interesting to see what happens in the next 4 years with our health care system.  What a huge undertaking!

[ireneo]

Oops,my mistake. That may be close to what the British pay but the program I saw was about Denmark. They pay 50% in taxes. They also get free medical care and their schooling is paid for, even college classes. In fact, the young people said they are paid to go to college and it doesn't matter how long it takes them. But they are satisfied with less, not so materialistic and craving more "stuff."

[Momto3]

50%!!!!  With the prices in GB, I wonder how the average person/family can keep up!

I'm so thankful that my ablations were for PVCs -- Otherwise, I'd still be paying!  YIKES!!

[ireneo]

Ablation for atrial fibrillation is much more complicated than one for PSVT or PVC's. I'm not surprised it was more expensive. My ablations ran about $30,000 too.

As for taxes, I recently saw a program on TV that said the folks in Great Britain pay about 50% of their wages into taxes. That's quite a bite.

[Momto3]

So, that's how they provide the health care....I never stopped to think about HOW (taxes) the government was able to support free (not) health care.  What type of taxes do you pay toward health care (income? sales? property?).....WOW!

Glad to hear you didn't have to wait too long.... : )

[sueinns]

In Canada, the wait time depends on what area you live in and the urgency of the situation.  I was put on the urgent list and waited 3 weeks which isn't too bad.  It's far from free though - we pay high taxes here and the majority of it goes to health care.  However, I'm very grateful that we have it.

[twinbee]

No complications. That is just how much they charge. I orginally was told I would be in the hospital until Saturday, however my coumadin levels were in normal range by Friday morning so they decided to let me go. I think the doctors charge was somewhere between $4k-$6k. My insurance paid 100% of his bill also. I was at first surprised that my insurance paid everything because I had my ablation out of state, and I thought I was going to have to pay part of the bill.

[Momto3]

OMYGOSH!!  I thought HarryIII's bill was high!  $149,000 is more than my Dad's bill for CABG and 3 days in the hospital!!  Did you have complications?

I can't remember the doctors' charges, but as I recall we paid about $7k out of pocket that year.  It was worth every penny!

Harry,
Glad to hear the ablation seems to be working.  When will you have a followup to see if the procedure worked for the afib and flutter?

[twinbee]

My ablation for a-fib and a-flutter at the Univ of Penn was $149,000,00. I was in the hospital from Tuesday until Friday. And this bill didn't include the surgeon's bill. My insurance covered 100%.

[HarryIII]

In Canada I hear you have to wait a long time for treatment. Is this true?

Harry

[kmaldo]

That's incredible! I live in Canada, so we have NO idea how much everything costs.  Amazing!  Thank goodness for health insurance :)

[HarryIII]

So far so good for the flutter....but the cardiologist said I had afib. I think I had afib and flutter. When I showed up at the hospital I had flutter. I hope the ablation got both.

Harry

[Momto3]

YOWZA!!!  As I recall, my ablations were each around $33k = $35k!

Did it work?