bullshit

I’ve been waiting for today for 2 months straight.  You remember, of course, the first day I could call the surgeon’s office for an appointment.  And I’m sure you also remember how I wasn’t going to get excited about this because getting excited leaves wayyy too much room for disappointment.  Oh yeah.  That didn’t quite work for me.

Today was also special because it was the first day I could call for the court date for the DEEvorce.

When I got to work I called the surgeon’s office and got Rhoda, the GB coordinator.  She was very nice, asked me some questions, then said she wanted to do a pre-screen over the phone.  Cool, I was ready for that.  Then the conversation went a lil something like this:

Rhoda: Oh yeah, and I should let you know that beginning this year we are charging a $4500 program fee.

Me: a what?

Rhoda:  A program fee…

Me: and what does that cover? 

Rhoda:  Well, co-pays, anything else your insurance doesn’t pick up, the nutritionist – you know we require patients to visit with the nutritionist…

Me to myself:  umm…don’t all surgeons require visit with a nutritionist?  I never thought this was an option.

Rhoda:  we also have to employ 2 full-time staff members just to handle the GB patients, so…

Me:  And this is all paid up-front by me?  Not my insurance company?

Rhoda:  You pay $2500 at your first appointment and then the remaining is due before surgery.  But this is in addition to what the insurance company pays.

I was dumbfounded.  I didn’t even know what to say.  I told her I’d have to make some calls and see about a few things and call her back.  She didn’t hesitate to tell me that all of the surgeon’s around Atlanta are charging this now.  I haven’t been able to find any evidence of this so far, but I’ve only researched online so far.  There’s no way I’m paying a fee that is nearly 20% of the cost of the procedure. 

At this point I had a cigarette.  Fuck.

I am now in the process of writing a 2 page essay for another surgeon’s office (this one charges a $100 insurance processing fee that suddenly seems like no big deal).  It’s supposed to be my story of being an overweight person.  I thought it would be easy, but it’s been really difficult to write.  And I don’t mean emotionally difficult, I mean difficult because I can’t say shit in 2 pages!  I want to mail the application tomorrow, so I need to get on that.

After the discouraging call with Rhoda I returned to my desk to call the court, only to find out that they hadn’t reviewed my file yet.  I did tell M that the divorce will be final this month.  I managed to slip it into conversation so that I wouldn’t have to get a response.  It was easier than I expected.

I hope tomorrow is better.  And I hope I can write this fucking essay.