HELP!

[emily_0192010 168]

So there was a LOT of mis-communication between my surgeon's office and myself. I was led to believe that the costs of surgery that I am responsible for would be due after the surgery and that I would be billed for it after it went through my insurance, like EVERYTHING else has been. I was totally prepared to pay my portion... after the surgery. What I wasn't prepared for was to find out a week BEFORE my surgery that I owe them almost 1600 dollars before the surgery. Ummm.... yeah. I don't have that kind of cash lying around. I was able to come up with 455, and the hospital wants a min of 800 on my account before they will "work out payment arrangements" with me.

My family and I do not have a lot of money. In fact we struggle every month to pay bills and put food on the table. I only chose to do this surgery NOW because a) my insurance covered most of it and next year our insurance deductibles, etc are going up and c) i am on a leave of absence from school. So everything worked out for it to happen now.

I have NO IDEA how to come up with the min of 345 I need let alone the total left of 1100. My credit isn't bad, but it isn't great either. I am only 20 and I have student loans... and i'm only working part time. So right there my debt-income ratio is messed up.

My mom's isn't great either. When we were denied for a credit card, and then for a loan that my bank has my mom checked her credit report, because we shouldn't have been denied. Turns out my grandmother had put her as an "authorized user" on almost 30,000 dollars worth of credit cards that she maxed out and then refused to pay. So my mom is working to get that fixed, but it will not hit before my surgery.

What else can I do?? I don't want to cancel my surgery for 345... I have already paid a ton for the surgeon and the PSWL and the pre-op. I am using carecredit, but I can't get my limit increased. I literally tried everything my bank offered (a credit union). I don't have anything worth anything to sell. If I use my entire check that I get tomorrow I could pay the min... but then I would have to let my car insurance bounce and I would have no money for my prescriptions or Protein Drinks for after the surgery.

Does anyone know of anything that I haven't thought of yet? I really don't want to have to cancel or postpone this.

Thanks for listening to me rant!

-Emily

[lml32937 65]

Most offices make you pay up front so that surprises me that your surgeon's office was not clear. I'm sorry you are having to go through this but seeing everything you have done trying to rob peter to pay paul I dont know what else to suggest.. I beleive everything happens for a reason and perhaps this is a sign that right now is not the right time..... Your after care is as important if not more important than your pre op care- the hard part (financially) wtih the testing and pre requisites are hard I know but unless they are willing to work with you and make payment plans and take into consideration your situation I dont know what else to advice... keep praying... I'm rooting for you!

[peanut 0]

I use carecredit and when I tried to up the limit they

Wouldn't let me so I applied for a second card ( 2nd account )

And was approved. So maybe they would approve u for

Another account. Or sometimes the small loan company's

Don't look at scores they look at how the bills are paid.

I was a self pay so I totally get ur problems. Have faith

That it will work out

[emily_0192010 168]

Most offices make you pay up front so that surprises me that your surgeon's office was not clear. I'm sorry you are having to go through this but seeing everything you have done trying to rob peter to pay paul I dont know what else to suggest.. I beleive everything happens for a reason and perhaps this is a sign that right now is not the right time..... Your after care is as important if not more important than your pre op care- the hard part (financially) wtih the testing and pre requisites are hard I know but unless they are willing to work with you and make payment plans and take into consideration your situation I dont know what else to advice... keep praying... I'm rooting for you!

All of the stuff for the surgeon's office was upfront... like the initial fees and the office visits. But I was told that the percent of the surgery that I have to pay (cause it isn't covered 100%) would be billed to me. I used care credit for all of the office stuff and some of that percent. It was at my preop visit at the hospital when the lady said "okay you owe 1600, how are you paying cash or credit" that I learned I had to pay upfront. The miscommunication occurred when I specifically asked the office if I had to pay anything upfront for my surgery. I was told it goes through the insurance and then what I owe is billed. Like everything else that goes through my insurance. I am not blaming them completely, I know I should have double checked.

I am hoping if I call the hospital and explain all that I have tried they might be willing to make payment arrangements with me.