What's it worth??

**Warning I am venting in this post**
I'm sure we have all had a moment in life when you have asked yourself "What's it worth?" Or maybe "Is it worth it?" I have had plenty of the moments and the latest one was today. Have you also ever had those days when the thought of actually paying for something just makes you sick to your stomach? Today was also one of those days. In fact I am still sick to my stomach, but I have also come to the conclusion that there is nothing else I can do about it. I just have to pay for it, and move on. So here is the question? What is it worth??


$100, $200, $300, $400, $500, $600, $700???

Your out of pocket cost...remember this is after your cruddy insurance pays their part. That cruddy insurance, by the way, you are paying good money for every month. So I have my visit with the Endodontist today for my tooth that has been bothering me for about a week now. The same tooth that I had a Root Canal on 3 years ago. (That was not a pretty penny either.) After hearing the 2 possible options, we/he concludes that surgery is the best option. He has to go into my gums and cut off the bottom part of my root and then sew the gums back up. This is about a 1 hour surgery. And it is tomorrow at 3:45. The front dest lady says she will call me with my up front $ amount this afternoon after she calls it into my insurance.

So I know the Endodontist. He lived behind us in our last house and a member of the church. He also did the last Root Canal, so I was asking him if there was a big difference in price between my two options. He said "not really, just a few hundred dollers." Just a few hundred dollers, hah. To me that is a difference, especially when I had already called my insurance to find out that they only cover this stuff at 50%. I knew it was gonna cost us some money, but what came next was CRAZY!!!

So the lady calls me back to tell me my upfront portion I am responsible for, and I couldn't even respond to her. I said "excuse me" she said I know that is a lot of money, usually insurance companies will pay about 75% but yours will only pay 50%." I told her I wasn't prepared to come in tomorrow and pay that kind of money and I would have to call her back. She said she hadn't had a chance to talk to the Dr. yet but she knew we were friends and she would see if there was anything he could do.

So do I really have any options here? NO!!! I have to get this tooth fixed, so we decide to just do it. At what cost?? I guess whatever cost they tell me. So the nurse calls me back and says that they will bill the insurance company the full amount to get paid the 50% and then the Dr. will only bill me 25%, so that it is like my insurance is paying 75%. I am certainly super grateful for that, it is saving me $500. Yes, that is not a Typo, $500. So for you math wiz's, I am still sick to my stomach at what I have to pay up front tomorrow.

So What is it worth? I guess it is worth everything to have all my teeth, my family and a husband that works hard so that when these awful things come up, we are able to pay for it. He hasn't said a word about this insane amount of money we have to pay, only that it doesn't matter, it has to get done. I am certainly grateful for that.

Sorry for the long post, but I just needed to vent and get it all out of me, tomorrow is the big day and I will finally be able to eat solid foods again.