If it quacks like a duck, then it must be a doctor

With all the talk of the debt crisis these days, nothing seems to generate more debt than a trip to the hospital. All this "caregiver" stuff isn't done because they care about the patient, just the patient's money.

Last June, Carol became ill, ill enough to warrant a trip to the emergency room at our local hospital. After blood work, an X-ray, and a urine sample were taken, we were left to wait for someone to tell us what was wrong. Finally, a doctor showed up to give us an educated guess and a prescription. When asked what the X-ray showed, he allowed he didn't see it. I thought "oh well, that's just part of doctoring", and didn't give it another thought.

Since we have hospital insurance, it came as a surprise to me that we couldn't leave without a cash payment of $100. We were told it had something to do with the deductible, and apparently, the hospital wanted to get some money right away.

Since the initial $100 screwing on June 22, we have continued getting bills from the assorted medical people for varying amounts, the last one coming yesterday, concerning a doctor who's name we didn't even recognize! For nearly four months, there has been a parade of cheery little bills for the things that we thought the insurance would cover.

It's odd that an "umbrella organization" like a hospital wouldn't roll up all the costs into just one single bill, but I suppose each person that even thought about doing something is entitled to make some quick cash. Even the unknown doctor is now looking for some. We figure that in all, we have spent nearly $400 for a two hour trip to the ER, a trip that was covered by insurance. I have to wonder why. What would the charges have been had we not been insured, or worse yet, were penniless? Would the hospital be happy with an I.O.U.? I don't think so!

I suppose it all boils down to the "Haves" VS the "Have Nots". While they spend their idle hours sitting in their lakeside palaces, the rest of us poor slobs sit home wondering how we're going to pay the next bill. It sure doesn't seem fair to me!

Oh wait, here's another couple of bills that came in the mail today. Funny, I don't remember seeing Marcus Welby, or Dr. Kildare, but they want their money..................STAT!