Went to the A & P today to pick up some items that Charlie forgot....spent more than I should have...but we really did need the stuff I bought! even though Charlie didn't think so. He was so proud of himself for spending such a small amount...well, I brought that dollar figure right back up to were it should be! How dare he think that he could spend less than me!!! Sure he could...not buying everything we need or use! Paul and Samantha get upset when Charlie goes shopping - they can never find anything in the refrigerator or pantry...or I should say anything that they enjoy eating.
I was checking on our health insurance today...good thing I did. Charlie has had Aetna for a long time...all of a sudden they change insurance companies for the retired managers to Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield....well, I like the surgeon and he does take BC/BS but NOT the hospital that he is affiliated with - Newton Memorial...My oncologist takes BC/BS...no problem...This happened in December and I needed a port so I had to stay with Newton Memorial hospital....I was told to go 'out of network'....so, checking with the insurance company today....they are telling me/us that being 'out of network' will cost us a regular office visit to my oncologist...which could cost anywhere from $40 to $150...now the chemo treatment is another story...they couldn't give me an exact figure but a ballpark number...just for administrating the chemo is between $150 - $300 --- that doesn't even count the drugs that they are giving me! One treatment could cost us $1,000 or even more! I thought Charlie was going to have a heart attack when he heard that...he left the room...here I sat, alone...okay, now, do I just stop treatment?! There is no way we could afford this....so, after talking to the health insurance company they said that we'd probably have to do 'out of network' for a month - the month of February...then maybe we can change back to 'in network' - which we would have a co-pay of $25 for each visit...Tomorrow I will call the cancer center and ask if maybe, just maybe for the month of February they can do something for us so we don't have to pay that enormous dollar amount....I can't believe this is happening. Thinking of the CT scans and EKG that I will have to go through...Newton Memorial Hospital would have worked (Sparta Cancer Center is in the same building where I could go for the scans and ekgs)...now, if we can go back to the 'in network' I will probably have to go to Hackettstown....which isn't bad but my surgeon is not affiliated with that hospital...so when I get my port taken out...it will have to be done by another surgeon...but if it keeps the cost down to where we could afford it...who cares who takes the thing out! I can't believe this is happening. If any of you work with the insurance for health care - God Bless You...but the people that we have spoken with made it so confusing. We thought that the co-pay for 'out of network' would be $60 for each visit...do-able...but 'in network' is only $25....much better option. A little pressure for both myself and Charlie...something that we don't need at this time!.....all this happened and Samantha comes home and says that she needs books for school...$700!!! Where did Charlie go???? Well, I'm sure they all heard him in California yelling at Samantha that she has to figure out a way to get them cheaper! Poor kid walked in at the wrong time! As sad as this is...I can't stop laughing! It's a good thing I went to the A & P this morning!!! Anyone need a hair cut now? I think I may have to start cutting again...
Confused? I wanted to keep Newton because of my surgeon and convenience...now knowing the dollar figure to keep Newton...I want to change back to where we can afford it...I don't need convenience anymore. Hackettstown and Newton hospitals are pretty much the same distance - different directions but who cares.
Other than that...everything is fine....that's how my day went...
