So, today, I get a bill for the appendectomy I had this summer from the hospital - a little over $16,000.  If it’s not paid in fourteen days, it’ll go to collections.  (Keep in mind that my yearly budget, courtesy of the law school, is a little over $15,000.)

I call the hospital, and am told that the claim was submitted to my old insurance company and denied because I was not covered on the date of service.  I cannot do any sort of low-income write-off plan unless I cancel my health insurance and am denied from both Medicare and Medicaid.  Even then, it’s conditional.

I call the insurance company and was told that I was not only covered on the date of service, but am still covered by the insurance, despite canceling it in August of 2008.  I try to confirm that it’s canceled, and am told that I have to submit a request through a separate service by mail.  They ask me to have the hospital resubmit the claim by fax.

I call the hospital back and tell them this, and they tell me that they won’t resubmit the claim, as resubmitted claims are almost always denied.  They ask me to call the insurance company and request a re-bill of the claim of the hospital. 

I call the insurance company back, tell them this, and they tell me they can’t request a re-bill, because they don’t do that.  Ever.  They will, however call the hospital tomorrow and request the resubmission of the claim…I hope. 

I’m so glad that the American healthcare system isn’t run by faceless bureaucrats anonymously deciding what is and isn’t covered.