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I can't believe this happened !!!

kenny

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A few years ago I had cancer surgery ... a radical prostatectomy.
I chose the best local surgeon even though he was not in 'in network' of my ins co.
That meant I had to pay 50% of the surgeon's fee instead of the usual 10% or whatev it was.
The hospital bill itself was separate.

He and I worked out a nice payment plan, only $25 a month, and no interest.
Too good to be true, you say? Well it just got better.
After making all my payments on time for a few years he just canceled my debt ... gone ... poof ... I still owed him many thousands of dollars.

Weird.
I figure his accountants must have told him it cost them more than $25 a month to service my account ... or something.

So weird!

Have you ever heard of such a thing?
I don't know whether to send flowers and a card or keep my mouth shut in case it's an oversight ... but the CS person told me the zeroing of my balance was coded, "Professional Courtesy".

It's not like we are friends.
I haven't even seen or spoken to him for years.

They say, "Shit Happens", I guess Lobster with drawn butter and cheesecake happen too.
 
Q

Queenie60

Guest
That's wonderful for you! Thank you for sharing such a nice story. Maybe the surgeon felt that he could afford to cancel your debt and maybe he's truly a doctor with a passion to heal. Go figure? I'm glad that this happened to you. :clap:
 

december-fire

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Kenny,

That's wonderful for the doctor to have done that! :appl:

Since it was done deliberately, I'd be sending a handwritten letter of appreciation.

Wishing you continued good health!

:wavey:
 

packrat

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That's really nice! I would send a letter or something as well since it was deliberate.
 

kenny

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He is quite a doctor.

He does not even wear gloves during surgery, and this was full on old fashioned radical slice me up surgery, not that laparoscopic non-invasive type.
He says needs to feel the nerves with his fingertips so he can leave them undamaged.
This improves the chances the men will eventually regain erectile function and not suffer from incontinence after this horribly-invasive surgery.
 

smitcompton

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Hi,

Its wonderful news.

I have had two similar experiences. I was out of work and had no insurance. I had female bleeding and went to the GYN. He said I needed a D&C to diagnose the problem, which his partner did. I had cancer of the cervix and went to a GYN oncologist. I told Gyn DRs I couldn't pay them right away. They told me to forget it. I never got a bill.

My cancer spread and I went to Conn. to seek some therapy. I needed a new Dr. and needed Chemo at the time. Suffice it to say, I never got a bill from this very well known Dr.

Some Drs are so great and act like the ideal Drs we were promised in someones reality. Some are extraordinary, and I of course owe my life to these wonderful people. (I have had bad experiences as well)

Some are money conscious , others really care. Enjoy your good fortune. Good Luck to you.

Annette

PS In Dec I went to the Mayo Clinic to see about another growth in my stomach. Zillions of Drs examined me. The lung specialist asked my history and when she returned the following day, she said," have to tell you, I called a friend of mine as soon as I got home and told her, You won't believe what I saw today. There is a woman who survived this cancer in both lungs for 27 yrs." You see, almost no one has survived it. She asked me if I could be her patient, but I can't travel that far. They all really did save me.
 

arkieb1

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Hopefully it's an act of kindness and he didn't die. I've heard of that happening when doctors die too.
 

momhappy

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kenny|1464039258|4035397 said:
A few years ago I had cancer surgery ... a radical prostatectomy.
I chose the best local surgeon even though he was not in 'in network' of my ins co.
That meant I had to pay 50% of the surgeon's fee instead of the usual 10% or whatev it was.
The hospital bill itself was separate.

He and I worked out a nice payment plan, only $25 a month, and no interest.
Too good to be true, you say? Well it just got better.
After making all my payments on time for a few years he just canceled my debt ... gone ... poof ... I still owed him many thousands of dollars.

Weird.
I figure his accountants must have told him it cost them more than $25 a month to service my account ... or something.

So weird!

Have you ever heard of such a thing?
I don't know whether to send flowers and a card or keep my mouth shut in case it's an oversight ... but the CS person told me the zeroing of my balance was coded, "Professional Courtesy".

It's not like we are friends.
I haven't even seen or spoken to him for years.

They say, "Shit Happens", I guess Lobster with drawn butter and cheesecake happen too.

That's awesome, kenny :dance: I had surgery when I was in college and couldn't afford it. When I got the bill in the mail, I called the financial department and explained my situation. They reduced my bill about 75% and I paid the balance over time. The whole medical billing system is a big mystery anyways, so it seems there's room for over-charging, under-charging, and everything in between :lol:
 

kenny

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arkieb1|1464041651|4035409 said:
Hopefully it's an act of kindness and he didn't die. I've heard of that happening when doctors die too.

Oh gosh.
Hope not.
He probably was in his 60s.
 

kenny

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momhappy|1464042066|4035414 said:
That's awesome, kenny :dance: I had surgery when I was in college and couldn't afford it. When I got the bill in the mail, I called the financial department and explained my situation. They reduced my bill about 75% and I paid the balance over time. The whole medical billing system is a big mystery anyways, so it seems there's room for over-charging, under-charging, and everything in between :lol:

I've heard this too, and much of it is because of how the insurance has perverted the system.
I've heard of hospital bills in the hundreds of thousands being settled in the tens of thousands for contracting insurance companies.
Then if an uninsured patient knows this and mentions it their bill can be massive lowered too.
 

lovedogs

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Congrats Kenny, that's heart warming and is nice when the medical system works for good :) I hope everything is going well with the doctor and that you are able to send him something nice :wavey:
 

MarionC

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That's wonderful - both that your bill is now paid, and that there are doctors like him around. :appl:
 

missy

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That is wonderful news Kenny and actions like this one fill me with optimism and hope for our future. Kind and generous and empathetic people do exist and makes this world a better place. Here's hoping your surgeon is alive and well and did this out of the kindness of his heart. YAY for you! :appl:
 

tyty333

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That is great news Kenny...and I hope you are doing well after all that. Sometimes good things do happen!
 

mom2dolls

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Great news Kenny!

I had a surgery written off three years ago due to insurance/surgery center error. The surgery facility pre-authorized the surgery, surgery was performed. When the facility went to bill the insurance, they claimed the facility was out of network! Leaving me with a $27,000 bill.
Yeah, that did not go over well. I called Anthem crying, of course in shock.
I had one conversation explaining all of the details, the surgery center wrote it off as an error on their part.
It took me about two years to not worry that bill would surface again. I still cannot believe it.
 

dk168

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Good to know there are still good people out there who do not put money above professional courtesy and personal integrity.

DK :))
 

stracci2000

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Kenny, good things happen to good people!!!!!
 

kenny

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stracci2000|1464137157|4035956 said:
Kenny, good things happen to good people!!!!!


But then, why did it happen to meeeeee? :lol:
 

kenny

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mom2dolls|1464126526|4035915 said:
Great news Kenny!

I had a surgery written off three years ago due to insurance/surgery center error. The surgery facility pre-authorized the surgery, surgery was performed. When the facility went to bill the insurance, they claimed the facility was out of network! Leaving me with a $27,000 bill.
Yeah, that did not go over well. I called Anthem crying, of course in shock.
I had one conversation explaining all of the details, the surgery center wrote it off as an error on their part.
It took me about two years to not worry that bill would surface again. I still cannot believe it.

This is the second time someone I know of has experienced this.
But that time the bill was not forgiven. :angryfire:
 

ZestfullyBling

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That's great news!! Good for you! Did you have a big sigh of relief? I sure would have. Your doctor just paid it forward. To paying it forward!! Cheers! :appl:
 

CJ2008

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That's awesome Kenny. How nice. (and so good that you're OK now too :appl:) Such a contrast to what we often encounter with doctor's offices.

I would definitely send him something - a card, a letter, or maybe even a gift...
 

iluvshinythings

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Great news Kenny! I'm glad you put your health first and I'm glad you had a wonderful surgeon in many ways. :clap: :clap: :clap:
 
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