First set of appointments over!

It turned out to be a long day today. 

It started out by a visit to the office of the Hotel complex.  I wanted to request a new television for our room.  I know, I know.  They don't DO that kind of thing.  But here's my deal:  they said they would put me in a room with a new TV.  They didn't.  They put us in their worst room, if the others we've seen were any indication.  We got to choose our new room, which was nice, but no new TV.  So I thought I'd ask the Front Desk person.

She said "No".  Quoted policy at me.  I gave her my best retort.  Then the Manager came out and got MAD at me for giving her front desk person a hard time.  I hadn't raised my voice or been anything other than courteous.  I WAS persistent... I will give you that.  Anyway, I got angry at the lack of reciprocal courtesy and... well, I'll be surprised if I have ANY television in my room tomorrow.

After the office visit, Melissa and I trekked over to the hospital for a 1 p.m. appointment with my neurosurgeon.  He re-explained my procedure from his perspective.  He will be performing a bifrontal craniotomy to 1.expose the excision site, 2.provide bone for the craniofacial guy to reconstruct, and 3.to cranialize the frontal sinuses (remove them).  After the surgery I will go to recovery and then to ICU where I will stay for a minimum of three days (per the neurosurgeon).  At some point I will be discharged, returned to my room, where I can only sit on a straight back chair, or lay flat on a bed with my head propped up on a minimum of two pillows.  That will be fun.

At 2:30 p.m. I headed down to Radiology and had an MRI performed.  This is a special MRI that produces data that can be fed into a computer system much like a GPS that maps locations in the geography of the brain.  I am imagining this computer-driven set of arms that comes down from the ceiling of the operatory and, guided by imaging data, starts automatically excising bone tissue based on pre-determined cuts and measurements.  I hope they put my head under it the right way.  (This machine does not really exist, dear readers, except in my imagination... but then again, what do I know?   Maybe it does.)

The procedure started about 3:15 p.m.  Everyone was nice, friendly, and polite.  The MRI tech came in to deliver the contrast and HE gets an F for the day.  His skill with a needle was nothing if not inventive.  Finally, at about 4:30 Melissa and I left and went shopping.

While out at Target, I received a call from the Radiology Department asking if I could come back in for MORE images.  It appears they did not get the right type of filter settings applied for the GPS machine-thingy.  So we drove BACK to the hospital, where I had another hour's worth of images taken.  We finally left about 7:30 p.m. and got back to our room.  I had them make me a copy of the images and put it on disk, but they don't look any better than the others.  Here is an example:

Ok, that's it for me for tonight.  Thank you so much for tuning in. 

The next post will be about insurance claims... I promise!!!! (For those of you who need sleeping pills)

New Poll Out Today

Be sure to stop by my most recent poll, where I ask about Before and After pics.  I haven't decided whether I will be posting any.

Pre-Surgery Testing and THANKS!

Evidently intracranial surgery requires a minor amount of preparation.  I have pre-surgery testing scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday.  On top of the MRI and CAT scans that were done in Kansas City, and the CAT scan that was done here in Dallas the last time we were here, it appears I need ANOTHER MRI, this one using STEALTH filters that will allow a GPS system to map to it so that more exacting cuts can be made.  Don't ask... that's all I heard... Stealth Filters, GPS System, Exact Cuts.   All the rest would be me making up a bunch of stuff to make it look like I knew what I was talking about.

Anyway, that is being done tomorrow at my neurosurgeon's behest.  I then see the neurosurgeon for a brief tête-à-tête.  He will be asking for my input into best methods for intracranial access, taking my opinions and filing them in File 13 (that would be the trash can, for those of you who have never filed).

On Wednesday, I have a full day starting at 10:30 am with admissions paperwork, blood testing, full physical, etc., then upstairs for a photo session (give me sexy, pouty... now growl, like a lion!... work it, work it....).  After the photo session, another tête-à-tête, this time with my craniofacial guy, and to wrap up the day, a CT angiogram.

I have Thursday off before they strap me to a table Friday morning and send me off to oblivion. 

I want to take a minute to thank everyone for their support and well wishes.  My wife, my parents, Tony and Monty, Ryan, Cheryl, Jason, Mendi, Laura, Nick, Kalin, Cindy, Melanie, Kristin, Tim, Tyler, Darren, Karen, Master Locke, Wayne, Martha, David, Lucinda, Tabitha, Alex, AJ, Amanda,  Aunt Jan, Bob, Leah, Hanna, Ryan, Instructor Locke, Instructor Carrillo, and everyone else I forgot to mention, THANK YOU!

....4 Days to Surgery.

Arrived in Dallas

Melissa and I left for Dallas at 9:08 am this morning.  We arrived at 5:30 p.m.  The trip was uneventful.  We checked into our hotel to find the room wholly inadequate.  It smelled of wet cigarettes, the TV would not connect to my XBOX 360, the filter in the coffee pot was untended since the last tenant (and jusging by the mold in it, that was some time ago).  It looked like the front door had been kicked in and the security bolt replaced.  In other words, unsatisfactory. 

I took the coffee filter up to the front desk and asked if this room was the best they had to offer.  She showed us two other rooms.  Each had it's pros.  The first one smelled great and looked freshly remodeled.  The second one was dank and musty, but had a new tv that would hook up to my XBOX. 

Melissa made me choose the first room. 

I still haven't given up on trying to get one of those other TV's in here, though.

So, now we are moved in to the room where Melissa and I will spend 3 weeks.  We have unpacked our clothes, games, food, snacks, etc. and are settling in.  Here are a few pictures of the place.

Blogging Help

Okay.  I am asking for help.  This Blog is not designed well.  It may be that I do not know how to use it.  I cannot quickly see any comments that people are adding, nor can I see how to readily comment back on someone's comment.  For instsance, if someone comments that I am in their thoughts and prayers and I want to respond, I can't seem to find a good way to do that other than to comment on their comment.  (Well, THAT sentence was a mess).

I guess I am looking for a better way to set this up.  When the year changed, all my previous posts disappeared in the blog archive, hidden under the heading "2009". 

Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Financial Stuff - The Beginning.

SPOILER ALERT!!!!  The following post may very well be soporific (still trying to get some points, here).  Please do not operate heavy equipment or drive while reading.

Well, the poll is not over, but I think I get the general idea.  Overall, those of you who voted would like to see what all this stuff costs.  So, as an experiment, I am going to try to put together something that summarizes Dates of Service, Procedures, Associated Costs, whether or not it was in-network or out-of network, how much the insurance comapny paid out and then how much was written off as a result of negotiated contracts.

To begin, a real quick primer on insurance claims.  (If anyone has any corrections they would like to make or additions that might make it EASIER to understand, please feel free to comment.) 

All physicians, hospitals, medical providers, etc. have charges associated with their services.  These charges are the same no matter who gets seen or what their insurance coverage.  Person A is uninsured.  Person B is insured, but out-of -network.  Person C is insured, in-network.  The hypothetical patient has an Office Visit.  For this visit, the physician charges $250. 

Side Note:  All charges accrued by the patient are ultimately the responsibility of the patient.  Claims filing is a service offered by the physician and is not a requirement.  The patient must follow up and make sure all claims have been filed and paid out per contract.

Person C owes the co-pay required by insurance (say, $20).  The rest is billed to the insurance company.  The insurance company has a contracted rate with the physician that allows the physician to bill $85.  Of this, $20 has already been paid by you.  The insurance company pays $65 and the physician is REQUIRED to write off the rest.  $250-$85=$115.  That $115 cannot be billed back to the patient. Person C pays $20.

Person B owes all $250.  They may be required to file their own claim to recoup some of that money.  Or the physician's office may be nice and bill for them.  The insurance company will probably pay 80% of the charges after they have applied a "usual and customary" rule to it and reduced the charge.  So, of $250, the insurance company says, "usually the customary charge for this service is $165.  We will pay 80%, or $132."  $250-$132=$118.  Person B owes, not only 20% of $165, but the unpaid balance of the physician's charge.  Overall, person B pays $118 (if his deductible is met; otherwise he pays all $250).

Person A is not covered by insurance at all and owes the full amount.  Person A pays $250.

The reason I covered this is because some of my claims are going to be paid in a special out-of-network category.  My insurance company negotiated a contract with another insurance company (not the physicians, themselves) to pay at THEIR contracted rates.  So, if I go see one of these doctors, my insurance pays out at 80% of THOSE rates.  I owe the 20% but the balance of the charges cannot be billed back to me because of that contract between their insurance company and mine.

Side Note:  If you, my readers, haven't tried this, I highly recommend it.  Repression of feelings through analytical analysis ROCKS!!!!!!  I feel better already.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, everyone.

I have written this post 4 times now.
I keep deleting my entry. I guess I am not having a good day today.

Sorry.

I'll try to do better later.



7 Days to Surgery.