I just got my bill in the mail from my three-hour long hospital stay.
I’m getting on the phone with Blue Cross right now to get medical insurance. It’s funny how all the times I thought “I never used the insurance when I had it from work, and it’s too expensive to pay that much monthly for something I’ll never use” seems… short-sighted.
And it’s funny how my opinion about socialized medicine and standardized health insurance can change from the capitalist “it’s not my problem” to the liberal “everyone has a right to proper health care!” so quickly, once it’s my capital that’s being affected.
As for how much it is: I could’ve gotten two new computers. I guess it’s just a good thing I didn’t have to stay overnight. Still, did I really need three whole bags of IV solution? Couldn’t they have just given me one and a bunch of Gatorade?
Update: Oh, that’s right. Now I remember why I didn’t sign up for insurance before, and it’s not just because I’m lazy and a cheapskate. It’s because insurance companies are all bottom-feeding pederasts who exist solely to make money, and will do everything in their power to avoid having to provide their customers with service.
The friendly folks at Blue Cross — yes, the same ones who’ve sent me one letter a week for the past six months begging me to call them and set up a plan — have turned me down. Turns out that if you’ve been to an emergency room in the past three to six months — in other words, if you’re the type of person who could benefit from having medical insurance — you’re not eligible to get medical insurance.
My options? The guy told me he couldn’t stop me from applying, but that it would be rejected. So in other words, no options. I just get to go without doctor visits, dentist visits, or new glasses for at least six months, or pay out of my own pocket. God forbid I get another case of stomach flu.
What gets me is that it’s such an obvious protection racket that it should be criminal, but it’s not only allowed, it’s encouraged. What about the people who really need health care, not just check-ups and the occasional emergency?