If you’re in your twenties, chances are you’re pretty strapped for cash like me. So guess what happens when you get stiffed with a thousand dollar-bill from your dentist? This is the reality for some who don’t have great health insurance, but that’s a whole other story.
Thankfully, if you have decent health insurance (which I strongly recommend, it's the only way to NOT DIE ), you’ll only pay a couple of hundred dollars out of that thousand dollar total. If you need a deep cleaning treatment and cavity fillings (so I ate too many jolly ranchers… what’s the big deal?) you'll end up paying a couple of hundred dollars like me. However, even $200 to $400 is pretty steep at this age when you’re trying to cover grocery bills, rent, car insurance, and maybe even a social life on a budget (game night anyone?).
When I lived with my parents, a $200 dentist bill was average! It was welcome, even, because I thought it was cheap. I didn’t feel this expense because of course it wasn’t coming out of my pocket.
However, guess what happens when you pay your own medical bills? Suddenly, the free jolly ranchers at work in the kitchen candy jar weren’t worth it anymore. While I was getting my three cavities filled, I mentally kicked myself and visualized taking the entire glass jar and dumping out its contents at the corner dumpster. Not to mention the pain and panic I put my body through during the whole appointment- dental work is truly terrifying! The ear-shattering sound of the drill. The pinch you feel as the dentist injects the local anesthesia. The lack of breathing space you have when dental instruments are in your mouth, etc… My heartbeat shot through the roof at that appointment.
Never again!!! - I promised myself I would start taking better care of my health because this procedure left both me and my wallet traumatized.
I realized part of growing up is not only making your own doctor’s appointments (absolutely hate doing this, doctors’ offices stress me out AF), but also taking care of yourself so you don’t have to make them so often!!
I decided (once again) to quit eating so much sugar. Nooo more candy breaks just because work was going slow. Also, I needed to at least brush my teeth after every meal, even at work after my lunch break. If anyone asked why I brought a toothbrush to work, it was simply none of their business (Susan- lol jk).
I actually made more of an effort to floss a minimum of once a day as well because that’s the best way to prevent plaque buildup. I know, I know! You’re already supposed to do that but let’s be real guys- it’s a pain in the ass. Do you actually floss eeeeeeeevery night?
No, didn’t think so.
So what stresses me when I make a doctor’s appointment is the pain of being connected to a voice answering service that sometimes says “We are busy right now, please call us back or leave a message” and that’s because the front desk is so packed that nobody can answer the phone.
So you have to call back and hope that they’re available because leaving a message is not an option. Trust me. I think only ONE out of 15 doctor's offices I've been to has ever actually called me back, and when they did it was a pleasant surprise.
Then you hope and pray the person you are talking to is helpful. And not this type of person:
Front Desk: “Hi how can I help you?”
Me: “Hi, can I schedule an appointment? I’m a new patient”
Front Desk: “Okay , we have Thursday available at 2pm”
Me: “Okay but I work 9 to 5 so I have to ask off first, do you have anything outside those hours?”
Front: “I have one at 10am and one at 3pm”
Me: “Yeah, see, but I work, so how can I…? You know what I’ll ask off ahead of time..”
Front Desk: “Okay, what’s your insurance?"
*Me: gives insurance info*
Front Desk: “Okay, I’ll have to verify it and let you know if we accept it, if we don’t accept it that will come out of pocket”
Me: “How much would it be out of pocket?”
Front Desk: “$500”
Me: “Can you call me back and let me know?”
*never calls me back*
Me calling back a few days later: “Hi, do you take my insurance?”
Front Desk: “What insurance?”
Me: “For the new patient, my name is…..” and I have to give my info all over again! Sometimes I have to follow up several times before they actually sit down and call my insurance.
When your job has insurance but your insurance has a “Network” this means you can only use the doctors in your network LIST form your health insurance. You can find the list on your insurance's website and there is usually at link at the top that says "Find a Doctor."
However, if for some reason you haven't received your insurance card yet and a temporary card hasn't been given to you, you will have to call the "1-800" number on your insurance's website to find your member ID number.
Calling your own insurance support line that you're paying for is EVEN WORSE than calling the doctor's office.
Me: “Hi, can I speak to an agent?”
Robot: "Did you want to speak to a re-pre-sen-ta-tive?"
Me: “AGENT”
Robot: "Connecting you to an agent."
*Gets redirected to every phone line, placed on hold several times by answering bot*
*Someone finally picks up*
Me: “Yeah, hi, what’s my member NUMBER?”
Agent: “Please hold”
*transfers me again without warning*
Me: “Yeah, hi what’s my member number?”
Agent: “Oh, hold on, let me transfer you”
*Puts me on hold*
*Hangs up* (has happened, this whole story is real).
Not to mention some offices don’t keep digital records of aaaanything. They’re still stuck in the middle ages of PEN AND PAPER, people.
One office straight up lost my records because I came in 3 weeks later to get my results. They told me that it was my responsibility as a patient to come in only ONE week after my results to make sure that they kept my records and didn’t throw them out. I was like: “WOAH, it’s only been THREE WEEKS people I DIDN’T DIE (yet).”
The same office did not know how to use a fax machine. So the said records I had did NOT ever get transferred.
I called my x-ray lab to check, “Hi, did you fax my primary care doctor the results yet?”
Lab: “Yes”
Me: “Can you send me the confirmation that you did?”
Lab: “The confirmation number is….”
Me: “Okay, thanks”
When I called my doctor and asked, “Hi, they said they just sent my results, can you please check the faxes?”
Doctor’s staff member: “We didn’t get anything “
Me: “Could you just please check?”
Doctor’s staff member yelling at someone: “Hey can you check the machine, Stacy? Yeah, back there?”
Other staff member, presumably Stacey: “Yeah!” *kicks fax* “Yeah, nothing!”
ME thinking with rage: WTF.
I had to PICKUP my results from the lab myself and bring it to my next doctor’s appointment, because they also refused to accept any emails from the lab.
The moral of the story is- making a doctor’s appointment is anything but a walk in the park. Just warning you. The best thing you can do as you grow into your adult life (and budget) is- don't get sick. TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF!
All of those irritating things that your caretaker told you as a child, they SUPER apply now: brush your teeth, eat your greens, drink water not soda, rest when you’re tired, etc…
Preventative care is the BEST self-care. It pays to be healthy in America: no mounting medical bills.
Stay safe, guys. BE HEALTHY!