My hospital bill

So, I'm completely convinced that the system is broken with healthcare now. From my previous experiences with dealing with doctors and billing, it's always been known to me that insurance companies have the power to negotiate cheaper rates than you as a consumer could hope to achieve if you didn't have insurance, or chose to go to a doctor who hasn't signed up with your insurance plan. Generally, we're talking about some marginal increase compared to what the fee normally is. The insurance company may get away with your visit being $50 instead of the $85 your doctor charges. Or maybe $90 instead of the $150 you'd pay him without it.

So, fast forward to my appendectomy that happened about 6 weeks ago. I went to the emergency room. I had a lot of crap done to me. I'm incredibly thankful that everyone was there and literally saved my life. I was in shock and awe when the hospital sent me notice of the charges (just the hospital's portion, not the doctors) and they were billing over $25,000 for one my one night stay, my one (very well done) laparascopic appendectomy, all of the diagnostics, and everything that went along with that. My reaction at the time was "Damn...surgery is friggin expensive."

But today, I got the explanation of benefits from my health insurance. To cut to the chase, the $25,000+ bill was reduced to $2600 and some change, and (thankfully) I'm not responsible for any of it. I'm one of the lucky ones whose health insurance owns up to it, and paid the whole bill for my very emergency surgery. I'm just shocked that the hospital signs up to rates that are a tenth of what they would charge the average joe-blow off the street who can't afford health insurance.

The poorest of our nation can't afford health insurance, and they certainly can't afford surgery. We are a nation of quickly dividing classes, and I'm lucky enough to fall into one that protects me from the disasters that our system sets up (at least for now). I'm thankful, but I'm concerned. I'm alive, and I owe it to everybody who worked to pull out my appendix, because over 400 people die from appendicitis in our country every year. How many of them might be saved if they didn't fear a $25,000 hospital bill, and got to the hospital in time? And how many of them did, and are now bankrupt because of it. We can do better.

Return to Training?

So, since the last time I posted, JC, Steve, and I all completed the Ironman in April--JC and I in about 16 hours, and Steve about an hour faster than that. The conditions were bad with temps in the mid-90s and winds on the bike estimated to be upwards of 20 mph. The race had the third highest dropout rate in ironman history, so I'm proud to have finished--even though my time was slower than I would have liked.

After that, I wound up going to IGLA in DC for a swim meet, and decided to swim the sprints--I wasn't recovered from Ironman so I decided to err on the side of being in pain for shorter amounts of time.

A week after returning from DC, I got an ironman tattoo (pictured), and then a week after that I came down with appendicitis. Spent one night in the hospital and had a laparascopic appendectomy done. My return to training for Ironman Arizona in November is being drastically effected by this. It's been 4 weeks since the surgery, and short bike rides and short runs result in more stomach soreness than I think is probably good.

So, it's about challenging the abdomen, and then letting it heal. This weekend was a 15 mile or so bike ride, and Monday I was in pain. This morning feels all right--I'm not sure if I should try running or not.