PAID IN FULL!!

Lincoln...not the pool table.

So, our cute little Linc-a-doo was a "self-pay" baby. We had insurance that was costing us 900 bucks a month, but they didn't cover any maternity or birth costs. Nice. I will never give another cent to Blue Cross Blue Shield ever again.

(No, we don't own a pool table, but Stephen owns a truck and trucks move things like pool tables for people.)

We were blessed that the hospital and Dr both had
discounted self-pay rates that we were able to take advantage of by saving up and paying them in full before the birth. Labs don't care if you're living in a box they will not work with you on lab costs. BUT, I did learn that they send 8 invoices from "internal" collections before they send you to "external" collections and the internal collections will have no effect on your credit score. As each invoice came I'd write something to the effect of 5/8 so I'd know how close we were getting to being sent to the next level. It was the last few labs that they do right before you deliver that gave us trouble.

I pre-paid for the epidural medication, but was not able to ever get any kind of real numbers for what the anesthesiologist would charge. Every time I tried to get a number I was told, "they range in cost from $600-$2,000" Um, thanks that doesn't help, can I request the $600 one please? I decided to just forget the whole dang epidural and be tough. Well, I got to the room and the nurse stood at the computer for a long time then asked how long I'd had an irregular heart beat. I mumbled something about knowing my heart is messed up but cardiologists always blow me off because I'm so "young" and I've never gotten any answers. Then she watched a little while longer and said you're getting an epidural the baby's heart rate is accelerating and not coming down. I'm thinking, "It's because this hurts like &*%^!" I didn't really have time to argue or explain that being told to expect a bill between 600 and 2,000 was not ok with me. The anesthesiologist came in a few minutes later and got it set up. Of course it only worked on one side and they had to do it again, but my heart calmed down and so did his. After everything was looking normal again the nurse told me I needed to get in and find out what was wrong with my heart. Yeah ok. We were on a private insurance policy, you know the kind that if they find out you have a pre-existing condition no one will ever pick you up again. Obviously I never went in. Our lovely bill came and was HUGE. I called and explained that we were self-pay and our financial situation was rapidly deteriorating. They so graciously lowered the bill to $1,500. That was as low as they were willing to go. I had to just accept it and start paying monthly.

A couple weeks ago I saw my Dr. He asked how the baby was etc. I said doing well, and now that my husband has a job we're hoping to get the last bill paid off soon. He looked at me kinda funny and asked, "How old is the baby?" I was a little embarrassed when I told him just over a year. Weeellll, later that week we got a bill from the anesthesiologist stating the remainder of the bill was $300. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, we still owed over $1,000. My breath caught for a moment, I cried a little, then did my happy dance...which I'll spare all of you from seeing. I'd had a goal to pay him off before his birthday, missed that, and set a new goal to have him paid off by his second birthday. We made the second goal.

We now officially "own" our little Linc-a-doo.
* paid * in * full *