Miss Manners would cringe at this post. I'm probably being incredibly tacky by writing about the hospital bills, but the final statement just came in and it's jaw-dropping crazy. We have insurance, so I don't anticipate we'll be paying much of the final bill once it's processed through insurance, but it's worthy of a post. Two months stay in the NICU was one million dollars and some change. [Insert health care debate here] Don't get me started on how much the people who actually did the work with Ava probably get out of all that money. I was told by Ava's Neonalotolgist that her husband is a Periodontist, works 3 days a week and still makes more than the doctor. I imagine the nurses and staff make a fraction of that. Ava didn't have any invasive procedures. She didn't need much else than oxygen and caffeine, TPN for nutrients, and monitoring for all the other preemie stuff. She had a few head ultrasounds, echo of her heart, and eye exams. She stayed one month less than her due date. I can't imagine the bills if things would have been different. I can't imagine the bills of those babies that stay in the NICU for months on end.
We continue to get statements from the hospital that our insurance is still pending. [Insert private medical insurance vs. social health care debate here] I've been battling with insurance over reimbursement of the breast pump for the last 2 months. I send them the paperwork, they come back with some line item needing more explanation. I stay on hold for an hour, only to get the run around from someone about needing more information. I am grateful to have insurance, but infuriated by the process and games they play in order to get out of reimbursing what is owed. I can't imagine the process for evaluating a NICU stay. I still haven't received the statement for my own c-section and hospital stay, but I'm pretty sure it'll be anticlimactic after getting Ava's bill. I just can't wrap my mind around that much money.
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