Ian just informed me that he got a bill from the health insurance company. Apparently his recent operation and hospital stay weren’t paid for by the insurance because he has a deductible. I immediately thought that it was unfortunate that he’s got the lower plan instead of the higher one that the children and I have and that maybe our reasonably-priced insurance wasn’t so reasonable after all. He has one of the lowest coverage options because he knows that he’s very unlikely to go to the various voodoo doctors that I favor.
Anyway, I cringed and braced myself for the damage. The amount? €146.97. That’s the entire cost of the laproscopic hernia operation and anesthesiologist (it was a general anesthetic), prep time in the hospital beforehand and about four hours in a bed afterwards.
It makes the €550 that my midwife billed for pre- and post-natal care and Lukie’s birth seem downright expensive.
My friend’s visit to a German ER to get his broken thumb seen to: 30 euros. My bill to see a GP in the US plus a mono test: $350. (paid for by travel insurance – don’t leave home without it)