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Hip, this is a very serious medical situation. PLEASE ASK YOUR FAMILY TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH THIS. Whatever it ends up costing, take care of your health now and worry about filing insurance claims later. Also PLEASE follow the doctors advice on caring for your wound. To not do so will cost you much more in both money and emotional stress later on.
I guess Imissed he original "hit by a car" post but if you have automobile insurance and carrying medical coverage on that policy, it should cover some of your medical expenses for this accident (usually there's a limit of $5,000 - 25,000). Please call your insurance agent as soon as possible and file a claim. If it's rejected OK but it's worth a shot!
Tris... I don't know what your son's experience is with the insurance company, but I am a insurance professional and usually (although I agree there are some bad apples out there) adjusters handle claims fairly and promptly. Trust me, adjusters don't want to be screamed at by someone's parent. Do you know exactly what conversations have taken place between your son and the adjuster? I would first call, tell the adjuster who you are and that you are calling as your son has mentioned his dissatifaction and you would like to hear what is going on. Let the adjuster explain his/her side first. Try to keep the tone of the conversation cordial, don't give the adjuster an excuse to terminate the conversation.Quote:
Originally Posted by Triskeliongirl
Problem is most auto adjusters are the most inexperienced. In other words the first 1 - 2 year adjusters usually handle auto claims. They have to learn how to properly interact with people. I admit, some had a knack and talent and some need alot of coaching.
After your conversation with the adjuster, if you feel the proper answers were not provided, escalate the call to the supervisor. I would not ask the adjuster to transfer the call. I would ask for the supervisor's name and number and then initiate the call yourself. Again keep the tone cordial. The adjuster might tell the supervisor you are a jerk and if you are angry on the phone the supervisor might think its true. Make the supervisor think and know you have called just to get the matter settled and are reasonable to work with.
I know this is effort on your part. Having a claim is work for everyone. But the old saying "you get more flies with honey..." really does work. Also just an FYI, many states have regulatory insurance commissioners (by state - CALIF - does). The adjuster is under strict guidelines to perform in a certain way or risk heavy fines by the State. However this only aplies when a claimant is unrepresented. As soon as you get an attorney, the adjuster can know put the file on the bottom of the stack. Most of us like it when claimants get attorneys, we can move on to the next file.
If you want any advice or wish to discuss your son's claim and what's happening you can PM me. I am a claims director for a major insurance carrier.
PS: Tris I noticed you are in Texas. They most definately have an insurance commisioner and the Ins. company is under strict guidelines to resolve claims fairly. If you are dissatified with the result of your conversation you have the right to file a complaint with the Dept. of Ins. Ask the adjuster for that information.
You truly risk losing your leg if you don't aggressively treat this wound. Frankly, if you develop a staph or strep infection on top of whatever you have you are risking your life. Hospitals, especially those affiliated with medical schools treat people who can't/don't pay all the time. At this point the money is no longer relevant. Many people file for bankruptcy and emerge and go on with clean financial records. Figure out the money later. Get to the wound clinic/surgeon NOWQuote:
Originally Posted by HipGnosis6
Hip...just wanted to see how your're doing...I hope you were able to sort something out kiddo.
Take care of yourself and i'm keeping my fingers crossed that something good comes your way.
c
DittoQuote:
Originally Posted by crazycanuck
Hip, its been a while, please post and let us know how you are doing.
Funny you should ask, Triskeliongirl....
I have interesting things to share. Since knowledge is power, maybe if you all know this too, somebody else can also benefit from this knowledge.
As a bicyclist or a pedestrian in Washington state, if you are in an accident with a car, the driver's personal injury protection (PIP) insurance must be extended to you regardless of liability. PIP is not a required insurance, so you might still be out of luck, but if they have it, you are covered by it n matter whose fault the accident is. It's state law.
As of today I have $10K of coverage to get my ulcer treated! Yay!!!
Woman - get your tail to the doctor!:D Now!Quote:
Originally Posted by HipGnosis6
what great news!
I agree, tomorrow morning, call the doctor!
Yay! Go to the wound care clinic!
That's fabulous news!! Get to a doc and tell us what happens!
Hugs and butterflies,
~T~
That is such terrific news!! Please, tomorrow, get yourself some high quality medical care, and write back and let us all know how it goes.
Fantasic news!! :) Please call the doctor's office tomorrow and get immediate treatment. Keep us updated.
hi, not sure what school you attend, but at Pacific Luthern university, Tacoma, they have a clinic. My Mother works, with out health ins and she goes there if she needs to; I pay the $20 or so. May even be worth the drive, sounds like it will only get worse if unattended. Sorry to hear that.
Hip hip, hooray! :)
Actually I have to wait for paperwork to arrive from Iowa. And I do have to go to see the nice lady at Country Doctor for a referral to the Wound Care clinic. The paperwork will be there and back by the time the appointment I made this afternoon comes around - it's not until the 11th. It's the soonest I could get in and not miss a whole day's work.
This comes just in time - the skin outlying the area has been red and tight and sensitive for a while, but the adhesive tape's been making a mess of it in a big way the last week or so. It's starting to be its own problem, and one that's been hard to solve. I'm still a little worried about the coverage running out - it's only $10K and $2k of that has already been absorbed by the sky-high price tag on the ER visit on the day of the accident....
Maybe you should go to an urgent care clinic?
Dumb question.. it will actually cost the whole $10k to be treated???
Holy batmans..:eek:
Take care of yourself k.
c
Hip, I am really glad you finally have an appointment, and wanna stop momming you, but from what you say maybe its better to miss a little work and get seen sooner. I know you are young and think you are invincible, but you have to take care of yourself or lifelong problems can follow. If timing of the paperwork is the issue, can't it be faxed?
Snappy, if I hadn't discovered that I can get some coverage, I'd probably be headed to the doctor anyways. But the 11th is fine, my foot's not going to fall off between now and then. I just have to figure out a different way to keep the dressings in place for a bit while my skin heals up. So far a self-adhesive wrap, wapped loosely, has been OK.Quote:
Originally Posted by snapdragen
Yeah, Canuck. It really could cost that much. My initial ER visit was $1800, plus separate and quite significant charges for the x-rays and for the doctor's time. The price of medical care is out of control.Quote:
Originally Posted by crazycanuck
Saaaaay.... you're from Canada, and live in Australia.... know any nice single 30-something guys that would be willing to help a girl expatriate? :D
weeell hip...here are a couple of ideas.
1-Finish uni, move to London & you'll have all the kiwis, aussies, saffies and canucks you could want. Find a nice pub frequented by the aussie or kiwi guys or go to a cricket match, rugby game or something like that..
2-Find out where the local Aussies & Kiwis hang out in Seattle and :D
I did it a very weird way...I met my dear in Kelowna while visiting a friend, moved to Japan, then NZ. It wasn't a plan to move to Australia until Ian was promoted & transferred by his company.
Right, back to tissue infections-are you sure you want to wait until Jan 11th? Is that a good idea?
Or do like UK Elephant did, and find out where the Brits, Irish, Aussies etc. hang out at your US uni ... ;) Worked for her. 'Course, she already had national health insurance from Norway, but the bf is quite nice anyway.Quote:
Originally Posted by crazycanuck
why do you need anyone to help you expatriate? Find a job in Europe and go. Free health care to anyone who needs it! You get sick, all you have to do is turn up at the doctors and they do the rest!
UK, what a novel idea! Health Care for all. Why that's unthinkable, we can't have that here, you'd have all these sick and injured people just showing up :eek: at the doctors expecting to get care like any day at all, not even waiting till the 11th till wounds fester and so on, just getting things taken care of right away and getting back to work. We can't have that, it's it's un-American ;) :rolleyes: :cool: .Quote:
Originally Posted by uk elephant
sorry for the hijack, now back to your normal thread.
Behold the power of insurance companies. Don't let me get started.
Knot-infuriated-by-ins-cos-every-day-at-the-clinic
(BTW - all that money getting charged to y'all? It ain't comin' to me! SKnot and I are living below the "low income" line for Seattle, and I pull in b*ttloads of money every day for the powers-that-be.)
yes, Knot, I had a frozen shoulder a couple years ago. I started a regimen with a great PT. I have "excellent" insurance but after 1000 dollars, I hit the limit. Even though I was responding well to treatment, I no longer had coverage! I ended up paying out of pocket, but what if i had a more serious problem? I would have been well into debt quickly!
The nice lady at Country Doctor took one look at me and wrote me the necessary referral with the statement, "I don't think I've ever been happier to send somebody away to the specialty docs in my life."
So when do you see the specialty doc?
I'll make an appointment in the morning - they close at 4:30, so they were already gone by the time today's appointment started.
I'm hitting red tape on getting into the Wound Care Center, but I'm determined. I'm hoping to get an appointment no later than the end of the week, but first I have to get them to acknowledge that I exist.
And if any of you ladies are curious, my friend Cory gave my wound a name - Richard, Earl of Ulcer. And for those of you who are strong of stomach, there's pictures in my LiveJournal. They're icky, don't say I didn't warn you....
:eek: :eek: :eek:
I'd like to rant..You're meaning to say your health care system doesn't allow for the treatment of such wounds???? :mad: :mad:
So, it's safe to say your leg would eventually have to be amputated and noone would help? All because of your financial situation?
That's disgraceful!! Not you dear..
Would writing to your local congressperson help? What if i wrote a letter?
It just doesn't make sense. I still don't understand the US & am not even going to try...
End of rant, move along...
Hip-Take care of yourself ok!!! :D Good thoughts being sent to you from Perth..
It better be healed by the time I get up to the NOrthern Hemisphere.
c
A picture sure is worth a 1000 words! I am so worried about your leg. You could try just showing up at the wound center and lifting your pant leg. They might not see you that minute, but I doubt they would hem and haw about giving you an appointment real soon.
Glad you are finally going to be able to take care of the wound. How long have you had it?
cc - this is the US, where healthcare is a privilege, not a right.
I hate what capitalism has done to our healthcare, and I see it every day where I work.
Hip-you got hit at the end of september, right? So Earl of Ulcer has been around for 4 months?
oh geez, it's worst than i thought. And today's a holiday!!
I cannot imagine living with that!
holy cow! that is bad. so sad that they haven't done anything for you yet. someone needs their shins kicked into action!
interesting... its in the shape of a heart.
I agree. I remember a story about a lady whose baby had a condition where a few minutes after every feeding the kid would projectile vomit. The mom couldn't get a doctor to admit that the diagnosis was obvious and needed immediate treatment ... til her Mom told her to take the baby to the children's hospital emergency room. No appointment, just take a seat in the waiting room about 3 feet from a wall. At xx o'clock, about 20 minutes before the doctors parade through on their way from morning meetings to clinic appointments, feed the baby. Then just sit there with the baby facing the wall. Right on time, the baby vomits, vomit hits the wall a yard away, and the doctors come running over saying "Ma'am! Your baby has gastro-intestinal stenosis (or whatever the diagnosis was)! You shouldn't be sitting here waiting! That baby needs immediate surgery!" ... And then comes the big trick: Do NOT say "That's what I've been trying to tell you doctors for weeks already!" Just smile and accept treatment.Quote:
Originally Posted by doc
So yeah. Take your bod down to the wound clinic, find a front row seat, roll your pants up, and prop your leg up on a coffee table. Stage a sit-in. When they ask, say "Yeah, it's been like that since the car accident x months ago. The driver's insurance is supposed to cover it, but for some reason the hospital wouldn't refer me down here ..."
I am so confused and maybe different states have different issues but I called over to one of our local trauma hospitals and asked what they would do. They told me by law they would have to treat you. Of course I'm in California where the health care system is crumbling to bits due to all the treatment of illegal immigrants and their families. Many trauma centers have had to close down because of this issue but that's another soap box item for another day.
Call home, speak with your mother or father, an aunt, uncle, grandparent, friend someone, anyonw and ask they to help you. You so risk losing your leg to gangrene or staph. Please, please keep the wound clean an watch for signs of infection (although that red angry skin tells me you are already there).
Cripes I hate to see this go one but there are medical options - it's not like people are left out in the cold when they need help.
Crazy - our health care system does provide medical care to the needy and indigant. It's the in between people that suffer. But uncertain why Hip is not getting treatment. If she has no money resources the state should take care of her med bills. Problem is too many people who have no resources (ie illegal immigrants) have damaged the system so too few resources around. There just aren't that many care centers, hospitals and doctors anymore.Quote:
Originally Posted by crazycanuck
I'm voting for parking yourself in a doctor's office with the leg on a table. Please, please get yourself treated. Do not wait for red tape. Do not let this go another day. Get thee to the wound clinic now (or 1st thing in the AM). Not a time to be polite.
Your poor leg!
Carrie Anne