After dealing with back pain for years, I was referred to a PAIN CENTER because today's doctor will not prescribe pain medication due to abuse. The Dr at the Pain Center gives me a drug test, OK no problems there. Because I had Medicare & Medicaid, Paravert injections were recommended as a reliable therapy.
The first time I was injected with these steroids, it lasted a few months with minimal relief. The next time, he did some type of muscle injections that were a total failure. This was a waste of time because it just made my skin numb for a day or so.
The third time this pain center doctor wanted to do spinal injections, I was not totally on-board with the suggestion due to past misbelief that it helps. At this time, I was working at McDonalds and lost Medicaid coverage two months prior because I have a job. This is where the problem began. The lady brings me the statement and it was alarming because the patient portion was $142.90 and this female agent reported "if you pay in full today, we will discount the charge to $114.32" At this point, I was disgusted because its outrageous to pay this amount in addition to the Medicare premiums when a simple bottle of a pain reliever would ease my pain.
8/03/2016 The doctor did the injections into my spine and I paid the clinic $114.32 while I was still suffering from the procedure. The same treatment was repeated every two weeks with a total of three visits, each time I paid $114.32 believing this account was paid-in-full.
Two months goes by and I start getting medical bills in the mail from Wythe County Community Hospital dated several weeks ago. I matched the armband to the statement and determined this medical office was charging me an additional $86.68 for each of the three treatments performed in the back room of a medical office.
No where on the statement did it say this was from the Pain Center or address the doctor who performed the service, it only states its a hospital bill.
If I was aware it was going to cost me $229 for each treatment, the service would have been refused. The first time this was done to me, it cost me nothing because Medicaid took care of the charges 100%
Thus far, I was billed $687 to relieve pain and it only lasted for a month. This is in addition to the day I missed going to my job because I was in too much pain from this B. S. Therapy!
After the treatment was a failure, the doctor suggested using Aspercream for my pain; and this doctor gets paid to sell me on the idea that something from Walmart will ease my pain.
If you have insurance, the medical provider, (including the giant hospital backing them) will provide the most expensive care allowable under your healthcare plan.
WCCH billed Medicare $1,560 for each treatment and was paid $899 (Three Times) and I had a rebound effect within a month of the last injections. I'm still having pain to the point its hard to go to my job which is only 20 hours per week. Just because the state officials believe all pain medicine is abused, there is a cost associated with alternative treatments...