It continues to astound me how crazy it is

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So, the US healthcare ‘system’.

Tomorrow I’m going for a colonoscopy. Because of my dad’s early colon cancer and his subsequent death, I am a ‘high risk’ person for colon cancer (yay).

So, my doctor wants me to have a colonoscopy.

Now getting the appointment was about the same level of hassle as in the NHS – but then, because it’s the US healthcare system there’s the added bonus of money. So first I have a discussion about how much it might cost. Then I prepare myself for that. Then, I get a letter telling me to pre-pay; only it doesn’t have a piece of required information on it for their online payment system.

So I call – and it turns out I don’t have to pay… they think… I mean, they have to actually bill the insurance company after the procedure to find out whether it’s going to cost anything (because the ‘system’ does not have a stable output for a given input). And also, if they don’t find anything (fingers crossed ever so much) it’s “preventative” – and thus completely covered – but if they do, it’s a treatment – and thus not completely covered – and there will be a fee.

Which is insane. If I go in for a screening and they find nothing and I’m healthy, it’s ‘free’, but if I’m actually sick then I have to pay for it? What now?

*sigh*

Anyhow, so today I can’t eat. I have jelly (jello) which curiously comes as a powder, not cubes, here. And is crazily expensive (and the shop only appeared to have actual brand-name jelly). And pretty much the only flavours I could have were lemon and lime (because all the other ones have Red-40, which is a dye I’m also not allowed today).

I am currently enjoying a delicious cup of stock. And then in a couple of hours I get to be put off gatorade by having it mixed with laxative. So much fun.

I’m beginning to go off this getting older m’larkey.

KateWE

Kate is lord and mistress of all she surveys at pyoor.org...