Well, almost. Today is still 2019. Tomorrow my health will reset because my insurance is resetting. Right?
Or not. But in the meantime, let’s do a year in review! By the numbers (Dates are numbers, k?):
5/30/19 - The beginning of the whole ‘cancer’ thing due to a mammogram and ultrasound that were ‘probably just a cyst, but we’d better check.’
6/6/19 - The day I had the tests that would change the trajectory of the year. I learned the diagnosis a few days later. I cried.
7/3/19 - Attacked with the 9 gauge needle + other tests.
8/20/19 - Beginning of treatment. Delayed due to tests, clinical trial starting, and… vacation/work trip.
28 - Number of days I visited medical offices of various kinds throughout 2019. Some days were up to three appointments/tests.
33 - Number of hours spent in doctors offices.
22 - Number of hours spent in the car getting to/from doctors offices. My oncologist is super close, but you go there a lot.
~$7,000-$10,000 - Approximate income loss due to cancer.
$6900 - Deductible.
$6700 - Money raised by friends/family to help pay my deductible. I honestly wouldn’t be where I am today without this help. Thank you all!!
$1000 - Additional ‘out of pocket’ above deductible that I’ve paid out - what does this even mean?? Insurance is so confusing.
$4865 - Insurance premiums June-December 2019 for my husband and I.
~$61,000 - Cost of care through the start of my clinical trial - does not include December appointments. Those bills should be arriving soon. I don’t see the cost of the trial, but I did a search and it showed the pills I’m taking cost upwards of $5,000/month. Ouch.
~$43,000 - Insurance ‘discounts’ - what is this? Write Offs? I don’t know. But it leads to the next number…
~$7600 - Approximate amount insurance company paid for my care.
~$16,240 - Approximate out of pocket + premiums for the entire year. So, if I’d just paid out of pocket for the year, I would have paid a little less for this treatment than what I actually paid if I were granted the discounts given to the insurance company. Good thing I did all those chiropractor appointments and husband had some physical therapy!
$754.44 - New insurance premium per month for 2020. (x12 = $9053.28) - It only went up $59/month! Score.
$2800 - New deductible. I think. I was able to work more than I thought I’d be able to, so I already have this saved/ready to go plus enough to cover the bills for a month while I’m recovering. And I’ll keep working until surgery. I’d keep working through surgery, but they put you to sleep for it.
1 - Number of dogs adopted in 2019. Let’s see if we can beat that in 2020! (I’m sure my proofreader/husband will have something to say on this subject… hahahaha)
I wish you and yours a wonderful, safe and happy new year. May your health reset on January 1 if needed as your insurance does if you’re in the US, and may everyone whose health doesn’t reset get better quickly and keep partying like it’s 1999.
Cheers!