When all was said and done, the entire charade cost $135,000. Thanks to our great foresight and financial planning () we paid the entire $500 out of pocket max in one day from our overflowing checking account. My husband's employer picked up the rest.
I say - good for you both and for your families! Way to go! I'm truly glad that your husbands employer has such great insurance to cover the rest of the bills and I'm sure you are both grateful and thankful that you can not only afford that deductible but have great jobs on top of that. Foresight and financial planning are great assets to have - congratulations to you both for pooling your assets together to carve out a comfortable life for yourselves and your families. This is a great story and only serves to back up what I said earlier - comfort does not create a need for change - desperation does.
If you take your story and reverse it the outcome would be much different. There are millions of people who have not, may never have and are not capable of the same foresight and planning that you both had.
Story - a kid who grew up abused in every way. Burn marks on his arm where dad put out his cigarettes. Rotten teeth from neglect. A hole in his leg where the wood he got beat with had a chunk broken off. Despite being a good kid and smart, he's forced to drop out of high school in order to take care of his family. His little brothers and sisters have no one. He doesn't know any different but struggles to find a way to survive - keep out of trouble. Gets 2 part time jobs and works 11 hours a day keeping afloat. Puts a little aside day after day with the goal of being able to go back to school sometime in the future. He works without vacations. Doesn't have a car. Has no material assests but he is determined. He's now 31 and has saved up $3,000 in the bank. He feels good about that - it's been hard, he's had to switch jobs when one company closes up - just to find another one. He had some health care at one job that paid for 20% but that was a while back. He breathes a sigh of relief, at least all his brothers and sisters graduated from high school now and he can think of his own goals.
One day at work he gets sick and is taken to the hospital. He has emergency surgery and stays to recuperate for 2 weeks. He leaves the hospital recovered and with a bill for $78,000 - the cost of his surgery, care and medicines. He has no money and anxiety mounts. A few weeks go by and during that time he has tried to access any of the financial programs that might help him out but his income is over the poverty limit of $12,000. Collection agencies are calling him demanding payment so he won't answer the phone any more. Letters arrive in the mail threatening him with legal action if he doesn't pay up - he worries more. He has already taken all the money in his account and paid them that and tried to explain he has no more. He agrees to try and pay them something - maybe $50.00 a month. He asks for more hours at work. He gets turned down. He looks for a better job and a full time one - he hasn't found that yet - for a guy with no high school education and willing to work hard, it's tough.
This man continues to pay down that one debt and tries to live at the same time, struggling all the while against depression and futility in a life of odds stacked against him. He goes back to get his GED in between jobs - he forgoes relationships because he doesn't have the time nor the money. His debtload keeps him awake at night - he has sacrificed his life to keep his family afloat and give them opportunity. He turns 35 tomorrow - he gets another letter in the mail - he still owes so much! He's tired. He feels trapped. He has asked for a hand out from no-one ever. Despair washes over him as he heads off to his new full time job - there are no health benefits but it pays a little more. It's raining out. He reads the collection letter once again...raises his head and looks out over the city..he makes a left turn and in the next instant he finds himself standing on the Wilson bridge looking at the raging water below - he doesn't really remember the whole walk - he is enveloped with a blanket of darkness - his freedom will only come from death.
They drag his body out of the river, piece of paper clutched in his hand. His story never hits the paper. No one knows his name. Nobody really cares too much. Must be just another bum. Some down and out jerk. Some no good slacker. Must have been.
sammieswife.
