Editor, Times-Union: My girlfriend of five years, bless her heart, was in excruciating pain that turned out to be gall bladder issues. We had to take her to Kosciusko Community Hospital so that the surgeon could remove it. The surgery itself was a procedure that lasted just over 60 minutes. A non-evasive surgery, “a simple procedure,” I remember the surgeon saying. She was in a recovery room for about three hours. Then we were able to take her home. We were at the hospital for approximately six hours total. When it was all said and done, the bill we received came to just under $26,000. Twenty-six thousand dollars! Really, are you kidding me? She is a certified nursing assistant here at a local nursing home. Not rich by far. Caring for Alzheimer’s patients, M.R.s, and behavioral patients. These people should make as much money as surgeons if you ask me. Bills came from every direction, anesthesiologists, E.R., laboratory, x-ray, surgeon, all the way down to a $7 piece of nicorette gum. Not a pack, one piece of gum! She tried her best to pay monthly payments. But with a bill this high they weren’t satisfied with the amount she was sending. Then came the threatening letters, and debt collectors for each bill. Then it all appeared on her credit report. Then a letter from the sheriff’s department summons to appear in court. She went to court and agreed to the lawyer for KCH to pay $240 a month. Then her son broke his collar bone, and here comes a new bill. You see, CNAs are offered horrible medical insurance by their employees. QMAs, LPNs and RNs are offered the good insurance. So here comes a new letter from the sheriff’s department. A summons to appear in court for “Wage Garnishment.” The K21 Foundation was gracious enough to help her with two payments on her bills for $300 a piece, for a total of $600. They told her that’s all they can do for her. Thank you, K21, we did appreciate your help, but we don’t know where else to turn. Living paycheck to paycheck and the high cost of gasoline, she doesn’t know how she is going to make ends meet. So before she loses her house, her car and so forth, can someone out there point us in the right direction for help? Short of bankruptcy and government grants that can take up to two years to be approved. Anyone who is in this position or has found help to solve medical bill problems, we would greatly appreciate your thoughts and direction. Thank You. Todd L. Dickey Warsaw
