I’ve Paid For This Twice Already…

Tell All Tuesday ~ Big Spender Edition

Apparently the radiology department is faster at sending out their bills than the labor and delivery department was, because last night I got the bill from the hospital for my CT scan. I then submitted it last night via the web for reimbursement from our Flexible Spending Account, which will completely wipe that account out. Which is okay, that is what it is there for, to reimburse medical expenses. Once I get that check for about $250 (I usually receive it a few days after I request it), I will be paying the $1014 hospital bill. I just paid the $49 radiologist bill as well, and that should be it for this chapter of my health adventure. On to the colonoscopy… at least I’ve already met my yearly deductible.

What I find interesting about all these bills is that the hospital originally billed my insurance company about $4500. Of which, my insurance company basically told them no, we’ll pay $1250. Interesting how insurance works. It is mind-boggling to me that my insurance can get that much of a discount and the hospital just accepts it.

So, this week was pretty light on the snowflakes. Any snowflakes that came in were diverted to paying for the hospital bill, and I will be bringing my emergency fund back down to $1000 to pay for the rest of it. Which is fine, that was what I was saving the extra money for. I have no idea what a colonoscopy might cost, I only hope it will be less expensive for me out of pocket because I’ve already paid my deductible. Be that as it may, I am going to keep the half debt-repayment/half savings snowflakes going and build my emergency fund back up to $2000. Healthcare is one of the only things I can think of where you do things without having any idea what they’ll cost you. Once we’re past the colonoscopy, depending on the results of that, we’ll make a decision as to where we’ll keep the emergency fund at right now.

I did make the monthly minimum payments to the car loan and my student loan this past week, so there was a little downward movement of the total debt. Compared to the progress on my spouse’s student loan, they feel like they are shrinking at a snail’s pace, especially my student loan where half my payment each month goes to interest, but I know that will change in the future. Patience, patience… not my strongest virtue. Here are those new debt numbers:

Current total as of 05/19/08: $21,612.70

Principal paid to date $14,839.01

Broken down into:

• Credit Card: PAID OFF 2/7/08

• Student loan (at 7%): $11,411.24 (made $144.50 minimum payment)

• Spouse student loan (at 9%): $7940.54

• Car loan (at 4%): $2260.92 (made $228.32 minimum payment)

% of debt paid off from NCN Network Chart: 40.71% (last week 39.95)

Yay for over 40% of the original debt (as of last June) paid off! At this rate the idea of being out of debt by the end of 2009 may actually come to pass. I am hoping that next month we can knock the spouse student loan down to about $7000. The car loan is 2 months away from being under $2000 as well. My student loan… well, I think by the time it goes down to 4 digits, we’ll have the spouse’s student loan completely paid off. But then we’ll be able to knock it down pretty quick. Getting the entire debt under $20000 feels right around the corner (although it is probably another 2-3 months away at least).

Here’s to colonoscopies being cheap…

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