UPDATED! Help! Surgery is Wednesday but I just got a call saying there was a mistake with...

UPDATE: TUESDAY at 1pm

      My day started at 8am bright and early on the phone with my insurance co. and my Dr's office. Lots of tears, and about thirty phone calls have taken place. It was decided that I was indeed looking at about 10,000-15,000 dollars in bills from the hospital and $2,000.00 from my surgeon's office. I am faced with having to pay the $2,000.00 today before 3pm if I want to keep my surgery date. 

    Also, BCBS said that they were not responsible for anything even though they did give the wrong information to my Dr's office in July.....I cried.....I begged.....I cried more, but tried to hold it together. I asked to speak to the "BOSS" and she told me the same thing, so I cried and thanked them for their time. Their point was that they (BCBS) had given the correct information to my Dr's office in March so that cancelled out the "mistake" in July thus leaving me with the first 50% of the surgery cost. I even ever so nicely mentioned contacting the State Insurance Board/Com. Nothing helped!

     I then called my Dr's office again and begged for the ability to make payments. That was a no. I then spoke with the manager and begged, and cried and begged some more. I got a very polite no, and care credit numbers and that kind of thing while the manager then tried to get me to just reschedule. I explained that there would be no rescheduling. If we couldn't make it happen today, nothing was going to change next week. I then called care credit.

    I was approved for half of the amount I need. I cried, then pulled my self together and called my husband. While on the phone with him I was being called by a number I did not recognize. I didn't answer. I continued to talk to my husband and told myself that it just was not my time yet. I got off the phone with my husband and thought about stuffing my face with food to make me feel better but I stopped before ever taking a bite! I then went to my bedroom and had a real good cry. The kind I had been holding back all morning while on the phone.

   Then my phone rang. I was surprised to hear Lisa's voice. Lisa is the very nice woman who works at the hospital. She is the one who broke the bad news to me yesterday. I had already spoken to her this morning and told her I would call her when I was 100% sure what I was doing. I know they are chomping at the bit to fill my space at the hospital if I cancel.  I about started screaming! Lisa had called to say that the woman from BCBS had just called her since she could not reach me a few minutes ago. Apparently after speaking to me the BCBS woman started looking into my policy more. She had called to say that there was a chance that my surgery could be covered 100%!!!!! WHAT???? Apparently the wording in my policy was unclear and needed some investigating. HMMMM...okay, I will take it!

    One hour passes and BCBS calls me back and is still looking into the unclear wording of the policy.

 My phone rings again, an hour past the last phone call from BCBS.  The woman says, you got it! The surgery is covered 100%!!! I scream! I am in SHOCK! She says she will call the hospital and Dr's office and inform them.  I am still in shock! I don't know what happened and what changed and neither does anyone at the Dr's office. I am okay with that.  I will be having surgery in the morning, and BCBS is covering the surgery 100% and I pay nothing.

   The doctor's office said that they have everything documented and if there is a problem later on down the line after surgery they have their ducks in a row.  

  I am drained! I am so very happy right now! Thank you to everyone who prayed for me or sent kind words or advice. Thank you so very much! I am so lucky to have you all!

izzi

CONGRATULATIONS!!!  Just know that after it is over you will say it is sooooo worth all of the drama!!!  Big time Congrats!!!

Thank you! I know you are right!

How horrible that you had to go through all that, but a big CONGRATS on the surgery moving forward.  I gotta say, 1 week after surgery and I'm feeling fantastic. 

I'll be praying that your surgery goes well.

 Thank you so much!

  I hope I will be doing as well as you!

That is an awesome outcome!! You had a lot of people praying for you!!  Congratulations and good luck in the morning!!

 Thank You!! I know just how blessed I am!  

If going to grad school for health administration didn't convince me that the health insurance system in this country is drastically broken, that story sure did! I'm so glad it worked out in the end though!

Thanks, I am glad it worked out too! I don't understand how it worked out, I am just happy it did! Today has been a day that I will never forget!

I am also in grad school for health admin! I only have 7 weeks to go and my WLS is in 6, yikes.