Acute bronchitis it is.
I decided to see a doctor after I coughed so hard I puked, and today I price-shopped various emergency medical clinics in town and found one that will treat uninsured patients at 75% of cost. I walked out with a low fever, a handful of sample antibiotics, a scrip for an inhaler, and a mild sense of relief.
Fifty bucks ain’t bad for one’s health.
Acute bronchitis you say? I hope you get feeling better soon and lose the chest-wrenching cough.
Also, for us other uninsured locals, where’d you go?
Sigma. They are teh rul3z.
Good to hear something finally went kind of sort of not wrong for you. Have fun with your antibiotics.
The last time I had acute bronchitis, I got a sweet ass inguinal hernia out of it. And $3,000 in surgery. :(
Glad to hear the remedy is in place. Feel better soon.
Good, good. Fifty bucks is a pretty good deal for a doctor’s visit; that’s great.
When Dean was running for president, a friend of mine who works in public healthcare said that his fondest wish, should Dean win, would be to stand in line with George W. Bush at the Glorious People’s Revolutionary Health Clinic.
Obviously, it was not to be, but it’s nice to think about.
I’m going to refrain from ranting about how fucked our medical system must be if you have to cough to the point of puking before getting the nerve to search for an affordable doctor (I’ve been there, and I imagine it wasn’t all that easy either, especially when you’re sick) and just say that I’m glad that you found an affordable health care provider and I hope you’re feeling better with the quickness.
Glad you got treated and hope you feel better soon!
Did you go to an urgent care clinic? When I was really sick and didn’t have insurance, a friend told me that urgent care clinics would be cheaper than the emergency room. It cost me $200 to get a membership there, but it basically worked like insurance, albeit really crappy insurance. If I ever got sick, I just had to go to the same urgent care clinic and present my card and it would never cost more than a hundred dollars no matter what sort of treatment I got.
I thought it was a pretty sweet deal at the time.
Always ask about a prompt pay / cash discount. Our clinics can go up to 40% off the bill if paid at time of service, most will discount at least 10-20%. Not all clinics will offer information about cash discounts but will tell you their policy if you ask about it. Insurance claims take time to process and then may only reimburse as little as 36% of the bill, if you are giving them your $$ right there w/no paperwork they should give you some kind of discount.
Hope you are feeling better soon!
I feel like you should get well soon.
YAY! I am so glad you went to the Doctor (I K*N*E*W you needed to go!). Be sure and take ALL of the antibiotics even if you feel better….if you don’t it may return, and like the skeletons in Jason and the Argonauts, it will be more insidious the second time around.
And get lots of sleep. And avoid sugar.