My hope is that these costs will resonate with you and that you will share this information and begin to ponder - how would you handle costs and down time like this?, is that approach workable? what could you do to make things better for you and those you love in case something like this happens?
COST OF MEDICAL SERVICES
I just pulled my insurance records... and guess what?! There are a lot of records! Since this ordeal started, I've had so many appointments with specialists and my new general practitioner, surgeries (including placement of the pacemaker that stands ready to kick in if/when necessary), inconvenient trips to the emergency room where I thought I was going to die of a heart attack, and labs and other diagnostic services. The records show over 200 claims, not including the 10 or so visits to Dr Lyme#3, who does not take insurance. Total cost...
$175,857.71
COST OF TREATMENTS
This total was such a pain to gather, just letting you know. I have included a summary below, but overall there are over 30 different treatments (over 40 if you consider variations in dosage). The most expensive one is daraprim - coming in at $47,000, but there are a few others that ran over $1,000. Costs are based on comparison shopping on the internet for average - not minimum, not maximum. Total cost...
$68,500 (+/- ~$10,000)
LOST TIME FROM WORK
This total covers only time when I was out of work due to the initial phase of my ordeal and subsequent medical services. It does not cover lost personal time like missing my boys' hockey games because I was laid up in the hospital with a heart rate in the 40s, or inability to perform chores and parental responsibilities due to exhaustion and other symptoms. Total time...
300 hours (+/- ~20hrs)
TOTAL FINANCIAL COST
$244,345.71 + (300 hours x <hourly rate>)
Very fortunately for me and my family, we avoided financial ruin because I had (and continue to have) very good benefits through my employer, so my out of pocket costs - though great relative to common household expenses - were significantly less than they could have been otherwise. I also had (and continue to have) very understanding and supportive leaders, clients and team members, so I didn't lose my job either. And I didn't lose my insurance, so that's very good, too.
If you like, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll get back to you. Later.
And here's the treatment summary.
