Got a bill from the hospital. For 72 hours it cost US$2,113.65 and that's not including what the doctor charged: US$533.00.

US$2,646.65 for 3 days, and 3 days is what they can hold you without court order (in several US states, including mine). The average stay is 2 to 4 *weeks* after getting the court order or sufficiently threatening you so that you agree to stay.

Somehow I don't see this as making life much better, do you?

I suppose if I were working they could garnish my wages. Doesn't give me much incentive to get a job now.

Of course, I don't intend to pay one cent on it because I had insurance coverage then, and I talked to the insurance people right after I got out of there and they said they were paying for at least 2 days of it (makes me wonder why it's 5 months later and none of it has been paid) at 80% then I have another insurer that should pick up 80% of the 20%.

My state's mental health agency — the agency that processes forced hospitalization orders — is supposed to pick up the rest. The agency workers told me that much before I went to the hospital. Still, they (the hospital and the agency) could make it a pain in my ass by taking me to court (if I were worth taking). For some reason, the mental health agency tried to tell me recently that my insurance "never went into effect" ... which is utter bullshit, but they are the ones getting paid to figure it out, not me.

So, basically, the only thing that happens if I don't pay the bill is that I get bad credit and can never get a credit card or a loan or even a job if I want to keep my wages. Wow, I guess all that "help" really improved my life, huh?

-jenwolf

Last update: Tuesday, January 09, 2001 18:00