Almost three years ago I got covid in a small town of 5k and wound up in a little regional hospital. After about a week I got a call from someone demanding my insurance info and badgering me about payment. I told them I was on the verge of death and that I would look into it if they'd call back in a week or so when I felt better. I was too sick to research the problem. I finally had to block their number.
Later I would find out my insurance ran out after a week and I was supposed to renew it but since I was so sick I overlooked that notice so I became uninsured while laying in the hospital bed.
After two weeks a hospital administrator barged into my room like a whirwind, "Okay, get up, you're leaving today!" She was with someone from Lincare to teach me how to use my oxygen tanks. This was totally out of the blue. I begged them to allow me to stay saying I still felt too weak and sick. She wouldn't hear of it. The Lincare guy tried teaching me to use the oxygen but I couldn't follow him: Everything was too fast and confusing.
The nurse loaded me into my truck that had been in their little ER parking lot and stuffed the tanks in with me. She didn't ask if I had anywhere to go or anyone who coudl help me. So I drove back to the motel I was staying hoping my belongings were still in my room (which I had been paying for the whole time). I accidentally drove off the highway twice! I kept forgetting I was driving and just spacing out and wound up 10 yards off the highway in the tall grass. I thought about calling the police to come get me but I didn't know how to tell them where I was. I made it to the motel but I don't remember how I got my main o2 tank up to my room (it was too heavy for me to carry).
A week later in the motel my lung collapsed.
I wound up getting an emergency operation at the same little hospital and woke up in a larger hospital. My lung collapsed again. After about two weeks the doctor said they were sending me home. I begged them not to (this again!) saying I was too weak. Fortunately my father (a retired surgeon) was now with me and we both demanded that I stay. They gave me one more day. On that day, the day they were kicking me out, my lung collapsed again. I would have been at a new hotel 45 minutes away from the hospital if I hadn't insisted they let me stay. They did kick me out, early again, but this time I only had one trip back to their ER.
Anyway, I started thinking this all happened because I didn't have insurance. I know my bill came out to over 200k but I also know that the hosptial was paid (medicaid rate, I think) because of the CARES Act.
I was just curious to know if I was getting the shaft. Is this common practice? Thoughts?
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