The old saying's true-can't get blood from a stone.
Stress can't change that. It's a waste of energy which is better spent else where; you, on your daughter while I let it fuel my bitterness.

Well down here in "The South" we say "ya can't get blood outta a turnip"!!! That being said, your health and your child's health is what is most important. Yes, there is always going to be bills and debt. You will have to just make payment arrangement and be honest with the hospitals about your finances/health problems. Make sure that it is a small manageable amounts so that you can take care of all your needs. They have charity funds at hospitals set up to help families like yours, so ask about that. You just have to put things into perspective and calm yourself down. One good thing is, there is no more debtor's prison......!!!!!!! I am so sorry that this is happening to you!!! Glad you shared!!! Keep us posted!!!

I understand your pain! For the first time ever last year I was able to take a medical deduction on my income taxes because I had PAID OUT over $16,000 in the year on medical expenses. I haven't figured out this year's paid out medical expenses, but I don't feel like it will be any less. MS is a real financial burden.

You are so right, you have to try your best and if you are feeling overwhelmed, just focus on what you can do, and let the rest be. I make payments on my large dollar bills, and don't worry about it. Nothing I can do but.

Interesting post! Good luck with your baby's upcoming surgery. I will be thinking of you and yours.

I am just blown away with the amount medical is costing you esp when you have insurance. So sorry you are in this position. As others have said make arrangements to pay off small amounts as you can & also apply for any help you can get. stressing over it wont help you so just do what you can with paying.

It makes me more thankful be in Australia where we have medicare (takes 2% out of all wages as part of tax) & that pays for public hospitals. This means if we go to a public hospital it doesnt cost us anything, mind you the waiting list for some things can be be 2-3 years for non urgent surgery but urgent gets in hopefully in 30 days. Medications so long as they are government approved also cost about $30-$40 but if on pension only $5.50 till you meet the safety net each year which is about 60 scripts a couple.

We can also go private. Private insurance cost about $200+ a month for a family & then when you go private you get to choose your own Dr & private hospital so when you get operated on etc. if you go into a public hospital as a private patient you dont pay but in a private hospital you usually pay an excess per day/stay depending on your health cover. You also get hit with other costs like specialists often charge more than scheduled fee (which medicare covers) so you have to pay the difference & this can be anything from $20-hundreds of dollars so depending on what you are in for can be up for thousands too.

I have paid $0 for 8 or so years. Yes, $0. For about, ohh... $300,000 or so in medical bills. Every little thing, free. Sounds awesome huh?

Well the Reason I have paid $0, is because I have "technically" made $0. See, I got hit when I was 20, working an under the table job, in between school. I had very little resources, and about $10,000 in bills in about 2 weeks. I was forced to commit to a state insurance plan, for retro-active payments, future payments, etc., and this plan allowed a maximum income of $525.00, BEFORE taxes. Name 1 person who ever lived on that, shelter, food, something to wipe your butt with or not go around naked, etc. Without serious help, that is. Which I didn't have.

Ok...remember when I said I paid $0 for ins.? I lied. I paid with actual life. Mind you, I'm very thankful for my health. I've had exactly 2 episodes in 9 years. One O.N. onset, and another very minor flare 8 YEARS later. This is fortunate, I know. I am NOT disabled, eligible for no benefit. Of this I am very thankful.

Problem is, I was MORE than capable of working, but barely allowed to. Plus, being so young, I didn't have many SS credits, I think time to make 11 or so. I was in a prison of sorts. Able, and needing to work-to eat and make preparations for the future- and not allowed to do so. This, coupled with being 20 years old and scared (that was entirely MY fault..).

Ok, so mathematically, I basically paid for just about everything, by not working. Lemme do the math: $525/ 4.28weeks, per month=$122/week. That was my MAXimum. I was allowed to pull in a whopping $6344.00 a YEAR! Not a dollar more. I was also not allowed to keep over $250.00 in the bank. Yes, two-hundred fifty. So, even if I made this measly, unlivable sum, I couldn't keep it anywhere. Meanwhile, I was beating the disease, healthy as an ox, basically just a diagnosis to show for it all.

So while I continue to hijack the thread, (sorry tara), let me run one more figure: even MINIMUM wage in my former state was $8.00, so even a min. wage job at 40 normal hours is $320. Again, times 4.28 weeks= $1370. Multiply that by the 8 years that I submitted, and waited to see if I would get worse, (which I didn't), the total lost-at minimum- is $147,916.00 ($8 x 40hrs x 52weeks x 8years). So, ok, I guess I paid at least half...I would have had to make $16/hr to truly be out money. Which, is of course perfectly reasonable for someone who has either been taught and done, or could be taught to do just about anything. I could have just laid done and got some crummy job for health benefits and just continued that way in humble existence, but silly me, I had dreams..And what's more I knew (and proved) I was worth more than that...

Needless to say, I more than survived. I've found ways to work for myself, I have no boss.

I had two choices: be just a patient, or actually human. I wasn't dxd when I had my life in order, with a family and LTD. I scrambled through the shadows, and out into the light. I will continue to fight disease, submission, and bureaucracy-not necessarily in that order-for as long as I physically can.

It's constant continual adaptation that keeps me afloat. In every aspect of life. I guess it's modern natural selection we all must seek.
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I'm sorry for your woes, Tara. And I wish the best for you and your lil girl. I bet she's a cutie! 8^) I'll pray in my own way for you and your's. Your health is most important, you just have to fight off starving to death ,like they apparently wish you to do, in the process of staying healthy.

**I did not mean to hijack for only my own purposes. It may be good for people to hear of all the various predicaments that this bloodthirsty beast brings upon us. Everyone has a story, they say. That was mine...*

The last thing you need to stress about is money for healthcare! When I first had my son we had NO money and I had to have surgery just prior to conceiving him after the loss of triplets and the doc where I lived not doing a great job of the delivery (leaving part of the fetal tissue inside). I was lucky I didn't become septic. That being said I went to a large teaching institution and had a myomectomy along with fetal tissue removal but only after having signed a paper saying I would pay for what my insurance did not pay. Well hefty bill followed. We just didn't have the money to pay it and then after this jerk said I would NEVER get pregnant shortly thereafter I was pregnant with my now 21 year old son. So, I did commit to paying it, as we all do, so the damn doctor got $10/month until they finally figured out (probably about 5 years later) that it was costing them more to send me the bills than it was that I was paying them. I got a statement, as I said, many years later telling me that the debt was "paid in full". Just pay $5 or $10 per month, whatever you can spare but make it consistent and don't miss a month and they can do nothing to you and perhaps they will get the message and finally forgive your debt. As long as you pay something, don't give a written consent that you will pay more and are up to date on that payment you are clear. Hope this helps. Just don't stress as you know stress is our enemy and if they stress you out too much you will be able to pay nothing.

I agree with everyone else. Your finances will only stretch so far. Just make arrangements and pay what you can. The stress will only make a bad situation worse and possibly put you in the position to have even higher bills if the stress results in a flare-up or other condition.