Please Hold - Again

The good news Hemoglobin is at 14.4, still in the normal range, will drop the steroids to 10 mgs tomorrow.  His platelet count took a nice jump down as well, to 500 only 50 above the normal range.  His white blood count is high, over 14, we don't know whats up with that, oh well.

Doctors visit today, same old - same old, everything looks good but when I ask when will we know that we've beat this they reply we don't know.  Two months from now if everything is clear it doesn't mean it won't happen again, we won't relapse.  Six months from now if everything is clear it doesn't mean it won't happen again, we won't relapse.  I guess the saying "It is what it is" truly applies here.

Next appointment is mid-April and if we are still holding steady I think I'll have them write the script that he can return to school after Easter break, one more step that gets us closer to normal.

As for normal, it seems to be quite normal for me with billing issues to spend hours on the phone, each week (and I'm using email options as well) trying to resolve issues.  Finally fixed the over-charge for 12/23 visit but then they told it was applied to an 1/15/14 visit in which there should not have been a co-pay at all.  HFHS billing sends me to Hap, Hap sends me to HFHS, same with Wyandotte Hospital.

Add to that I just got a bill for my hospital stay, in which they kept me over night and this charge, after two phone calls and one transfer to a supervisor, 15 hours on the phone it all comes down to coding, really? Being held in observation doesn't count as being admitted, yikes.  Not sure if I'll make that follow-up call to Wyandotte today but I'm going to argue that especially since the day before I had out-patient surgery to have skin cancer removed and if it wasn't for how my body responded to that surgery and the meds used for surgery I would have never been in the ER or Hospital in the first place.  Sadly, I'm gaining far too much experience in dealing with health insurance - I could be considered a professional when it's all said and done, I'll have to add it to my "Stay @ Home Mom" resume, :-).

All this really makes me wonder about the number of people who never call, never follow-up, never question charges, the insurance companies/hospitals who are often non-profits sure do make a profit in the long run, what a shame.