I hate NY Clinic, part 2

NY Clinic had me in tears this morning over this stupid billing stuff. They are just so uncaring and bureaucratic. Apparently I do owe the money. Great, just what I need right now when I'm completely panicked about money and trying to pay for this last cycle while in danger of being fired and trying to figure out how on earth I am going to pay for college. Overextended much? If they'd have effing taken the money in November I probably wouldn't have noticed it, and it wouldn't have caused me palpitations. But nooo, just send me random bills six months later, why don't you? Gah, I really shouldn't have signed up for this last cycle. I really shouldn't have.

It turns out that for my July cycle, they included the anesthesia fee in the IVF fee that I paid. They didn't in November. Why? I have no frickin' idea. Apparently the anesthesia fee is $750 on top of the hospital fee of $1005. I was not aware of the subtle difference, before because I am not up on the intricacies of how the damn hospital in NY is run. Which their billing department seem to think that all patients should know intimately and therefore immediately understand when they huff and sigh and say "that wasn't for anesthesia". Anyway, as to why this fee was not included when I paid the IVF cycle fee, they just said that I have the choice to pay in advance or have them try to claim from insurance. So they assume that I opted not to pay in advance. I do not recall being offered this choice, and if I was, I'd have certainly paid in advance because I know my insurance only too well. Likewise with the coculture fee. I'd rather get a reimbursement later than be stuck with a bill for an IVF cycle that failed. Maybe it'd be OK if I was now six months pregnant, but I'm not, and those bills really sting. Especially when they are uncaring about the whole thing.

Not that they explained the whole "choice" thing that well. I had to dig through my old receipts and put those together with the scant information that I was offered and figure it out for myself.

At least my insurance company did cover some of it. At least it's only about $300 and not the full $1000. At least there's that. And I may be able to figure out a way to stay in Vegas for the cycle without renting a car, so hopefully I can save the money that way. It'll involve lots of walking and shuttle bussing but I think I can do it.

Oh, and in other news, I started lupron this morning. That totally crept up on me. I was sitting there last night watching TV and I suddenly had a thought of "wait!! Lupron starts tomorrow!" I'd even told the acu earlier in the day that I start lupron on Friday but I think I was thinking that it was Tuesday or something, because Friday seemed to be a long way off and certainly not the next morning. So there we are. Now lupron on top of the other stresses.

ETA: Oh! I just realized that we get three paychecks this month. I'm paid every two weeks which means 26 paychecks a year, and means that two months out of the year I manage to get 3 paychecks. Which is awesome, but the months vary so I'm never quite sure when it is. Not only do I budget for 2 paychecks in a month, but some things they only take out of 24 paychecks so that 3rd check is actually bigger than normal. Can't remember what, but it might be the medical account thing and/or insurance stuff. Anyway, phew, phew, phew. The money might work out after all. That makes me feel so much better.