#@!%$

Can things get any worse? Wait, don't answer that question.

At this moment I am having the worst possible morning. Click on back and have a look at THIS post, and read all about the ways that Sutter Davis is screwing us royally in relation to the HSG we had. Then click on THIS post and read about yet another way that Sutter Davis, in conjunction with Radiological Associates of Sacramento, is screwing us even more.

To summarize and bring you up to date – Sutter quoted us $650 for our HSG and offered us a 40% discount for paying up front; a second $1400 bill arrived from Sutter a week or so later, and a $1600 bill arrived from RAS shortly after that. So our $400 discounted procedure was now costing us well over $3000. I argued with RAS, who said the cash price was $800 and offered to let us pay that.

I called Sutter and disputed and they logged in a complaint. Yesterday I got a letter saying the complaint was resolved, and I should call their billing office (which has ridiculously short business hours). I called this morning and was told that we would have to pay, that the quote they gave us was just an estimate (which was, whoops! WAY OFF) and that we had only paid for the X-rays, not the “injection” and “monitoring”, which cost $1400. That brings the grand total of our HSG to around $2600. I called back and logged another complaint, but I’m not expecting anything different.

I’m trying to formulate a plan for what to do next. My OBGYN (who I’m not fond of right now) thought the cost was ridiculous, so I will probably ask her for a letter. I’m requesting a written decision from the billing office, and I will then write them a letter about shady business practices, taking advantage of people, and lying. Not to mention that the bill they sent me doesn’t say a word about injection and monitoring.

How can this keep happening? We’re trying to do everything right. I just want to cry.

No wonder the health care system in our country is going to hell.


(P.S. I just wanted to add that this is all a dispute with the hospital, and insurance is not involved. It's my hospital, who I would have to trust my health, my life, and the life of my family, that is treating us this way. How awful is that?)

Breathless

My doctor/hospital is/are unbelievable. I'm SO upset about our doctor bill. We went in for the test, the HSG, and they quoted us around $650 and said we'd get a 40% discount if we paid right then. So we paid. Now we get a bill that has the HSG on there, and something else called a sonohyster (I think it's cut off at that point). I'm scheduled for a sonohysterogram (SHG) in January. Sounds like the same thing, right? And it's $1440!!!!!!! Holy crap! And we don't get the benefit of the discount, since we of course didn't pay it up front.

I called the OBGYN, and they had no record of the bill (the HSG was actually done at the hospital, not at their office), and they confirmed that I was scheduled for an SHG in January. So I called billing. First they said that the two charges are for the same thing - they're just two separate parts. And I said why did they only charge us for the $650 one then, if we wanted to pay up front? Why didn't anyone even mention that there would be another charge for $1400? So then she said she would have to look into what happens when they quote you one thing and then charge you something way more, but that we'd probably have to pay it. And then I said, btw, I'm scheduled for a sonohysterogram in January (which I'm probably now cancelling because it costs SO FREAKING MUCH), but doesn't it therefore seem likely that I didn't just have one this month?

So then she said she didn't know, and would have to log some sort of question in for me, it probably wouldn't get answered until January, and in the meantime, I wouldn't have to pay. I can't believe it. I spent all that money and time trying NOT to get pregnant for years. What a waste!

Anyway, only 3-4 days until AF is expected. Only 2 days until I expect to start spotting. Yikes. The doctor is out all this week, and should call me on Monday, so by then I may feel quite differently. I’ll probably share my concerns about costs and ask her about ALL of my options. I think she should at least talk to me about what she thinks before scheduling me for these ridiculously expensive tests.

I worked like crazy on my Christmas gifts this weekend, without a moment to spare for obsessing, of course, but also for cleaning, errands, laundry, etc. Things are a disaster. So even though I got a LOT done on my gifts, I should have plenty to do to keep me distracted this week.

Tonight is rock climbing and painting (and cookie-making?), tomorrow night chores and grouting. Wednesday we go to my mom’s, deliver cookies, and celebrate Christmas. Thursday will be a slow, lazy day.

OK, now I’m just rambling. Looking forward to a few days off, even if they end up sucking for obvious reasons.

Feels like I'm standing still

3rd day of POAS. Still pretty much nothing. A bit weird b/c I was expecting O on maybe Friday/Saturday, so I would think I'd start getting some fade-in lines already. Weird.

So the doctor called me back the other day. She told me that since I was being so persistent, I could do another test that would tell them what my uterus looks like, since they didn’t get a good look at the HSG. She didn’t tell me what the test was, though, and I was on my way to the train station so I didn’t want to schedule it yet.

I was a little irritated with the “persistent” comment. Who wouldn’t be persistent? Also, I thought she’d talk more about what to expect, future plans, etc. She seems convinced I don’t have a problem, so she doesn’t even address the possibilities. I’m frustrated.

Anyway, I called and scheduled the appointment, but it’s borderline too late for next cycle, depending on when I get AF. The test is a sonohysterogram, which in my opinion is a bit redundant after the HSG (and confusing since it’s a SHG). I think I will keep the appointment for now, see if and when I get AF, and then possibly reschedule for the following month.

On the other hand, if we just got a diagnosis of unexplained fertility, maybe we could start on some medication. I really don’t mind waiting a couple more months, but I don’t want to wait too much longer. At this point, I’ll be 31 at the earliest if we have a baby. If we really do have a problem, maybe 32 or 33, and if we decide to have more than one, who knows how old I’ll be at that point? I don’t want to be heading towards 40 for a second or possibly third child (or heaven forbid a first, still).

So many of the bloggers I’m reading are pg after years of IF and they’re in their 20’s. That scares me. I know I’m not old, but I only have a few years left before my age is automatically a factor. That scares me too.

I am feeling rather tired and weary of this whole thing. I hope I can enjoy the holidays, keep busy, and stop worrying about it all. Unfortunately, after the holidays, there’s nothing much to distract me. And the next cycle’s O date is right around when I have to give a presentation to a room full of people at a big conference. Talk about stress!

Well, here’s to wishful thinking for a wonderful Christmas present.