The Universe Cuts Me Some Slack...

Having a baby is expensive. Nevermind the after costs, just the having of the baby is expensive. And I was very thankful for both healthcare insurance and flexible spending accounts this past year. However, there are apparently some things that insurance won't pay for when it comes to childbirth. The majority of the out-of-pocket costs for bringing my beautiful baby girl into this world was from the cost of the hospital stay. Actually, what my insurance wouldn't pay for the room would have put us up in a very fancy hotel for the same number of nights. The charges "exceed the room and board allowance of your plan." Add to that what I already owed the hosptial for my out-patient procedures the year before and you got yourself what would have been a nice little down payment on a new car.

Back when these bills started accumulating, I did the smart thing and worked out a payment plan with the hospital. The ultimate goal was to have it all paid off in time to have the next bebe. And I (not so smartly) assumed that my new charges from Ainsley's birthin' would just roll into that payment plan - without me having to call. What followed was really a direct consequence of how bad my avoidance behavior has become since she was born: the hospital did not agree and about three weeks ago, the notices from the collection agency started arriving with little pink bows.

I finally called the collection agency, (which I had been avoiding because I didn't want to have to pay them in-full with the little money I had set aside from my last bonus because I wanted that to be part of the down-payment on a new car that we had planned on getting soon) and was presented with an offer of only paying 70% of the balance if I were to pay it within the next 72 hours.

Still, I was crushed. So disappointed in myself for letting it get this far. Sad about the huge black stripe that would forever appear on my credit. Afeared of the behind-our-backs laughs that would ensue when we finally do try to get financing for a new car and the dealership or bank pulls up my credit report. Convinced that I was being the worst parent ever for not being more responsible to ensure that we could give our kids everything they deserve. I envisioned years of monetary struggles that my daughter would have to endure in her adulthood because she had to rely on student loans and credit cards to make it through college. I called my husband crying and apologizing for ruining our lives forever.

After a couple of days, I decided that I should just pay the balance, take the deal, and get started down the seven year path required to clean up your credit report. I called the collection agency again, Lovely Denise, and we went over the terms again. I pay 70% of the balance in-full, the agency writes off the last 30%, the account goes back to the hospital as paid in full and in good standing once again. "There will never be any indication that your account was ever delinquent." Beautiful Denise. Voice like honey.

Wait, what? You mean if I make this payment now, it's like I paid the hospital outright? Nothing shows up on my credit report? I won't become one of the target demographic for those commercials you hear on the radio about the financing company that offers home loans to people who just filed bankruptcy? We won't have to go to Joe Meyers to get a new car because they don't care if you have, "No credit. Bad credit. No problem." And Denise assured me this was true.

So, I'm not sure what kind of deal I just made with the devil, but it seems the Universe was finally not reinforcing my losery feeling for once. Is this just another indication that insurance costs have driven the cost of healthcare to a point where they don't really need all that money, they just ask for it to see if they can get it?