Just a short note to those who are interested.
I woke up at 3:20 AM PST and got to the hospital for pre-op by 5:15 am.
My surgery lasted about 3 hours, and post-op kept me a while longer because my blood pressure was a bit higher than they liked, post surgery.
But I’m home now, pain kept at bay (mostly) by ice packs.
The biggest news is how many doctors and nurses I had to assure that I had zero interest in coming home with any opioid Rx meds. The last time a dentist gave me oxycodone it made me projectile vomit. Can’t have that with the dissolving stitches in my throat.
My cost? Pretty damned good. When the surgeon took a look at my vocal cords in the pre-surgical consult, a procedure that lasted about 40 seconds from start to finish, with a flexible camera slide into the nostril and down to the voice box area, the billing was over $1,700 (out of which I paid $35).
Today’s surgery at the hospital, all costs included, the surgeon, anesthesiologist and 3 other surgical staff on the team, the surgical room and materials, and the pre-op and post-op care, all inclusive?
$210.00 is my entire out of pocket cost.
Because I have a non-profit Kaiser Permanente NW Medicare Advantage Plan.
We need some Democrats in the US Congress to move to restrict those plans to NON-PROFIT companies, and cut the For-profits out of the game. Be serious about protecting the taxpayers from enriching companies who fluff and bend the MA rules to earn greater profits.
The non-profits on the other hand, have Patient Care and good outcomes and Healthy Life Choices free services as their biggest goals.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
I’m off to get some well-earned sleep and won’t see any response until later today, or more likely tomorrow. They gave me Fentanyl for pain post-op and it won’t wear off for some time, still. By then, I expect to be sleeping.