**update**

Yep...look at that, time for another update. well i had my 3rd dilation this past tuesday on 5/5/15. since im still within a couple of days of it i guess things are still inflamed from them poking around but it appears to be getting better. 

GREAT NEWS!! my surgeon said the tissue at stricture site is softer and she feels really confident that i wont be doing this forever! man i was so elated to hear that i could cry. getting  a bit teary eyed just thinking about it. 

on that bad news side (because they are always in pairs it seems) 

I used my new insurance for the first time. well the reason i got this specific plan was because i didnt have to meet my deductible before i got to pay copays and coinsurances. turns out...if its an outpatient procedure that can be done in an outpatient hospital but done at an inpatient hospital setting then its all applied to the deductible. right off the bat im in debt to the hospital for around 2,500.00. i could rant about how unfair it is that we pay for this health insurance but were still in debt to it but i hear my fathers voice in my head. "david, it could have been much higher had you not had insurance" i find myself really missing that dual insurance...at least the hospital does payment plans right?! 

Yay for your good news, David!

and, if it's any comfort, $2,500 is a pretty low deductible Which likely was gonna get met this year... Maybe better to reach it now and have the whole rest of the year covered?  Just a thought.  And I'll bet the hospital will work with you. Just keep getting better!

Thanks Gentle Now!

Oh Snap! That totally stinks about the insurance. I have had a lot of luck kicking and screaming and appealing sneaky insurance claim denials. One time I went to the in-network emergency room because I was septic, but the doctors in the ER were out-of-network. I appealed it, they denied it, I kicked and screamed some more, they paid it. If I have the energy to fight than I will because I think it helps all of us not to sit there quietly and take this kind of treatment. 

Congrats on the good health news! That's the most important part.

Dgtracy.  Here is how it's done.  They write up the reports that you were initially supposed to be outpatient.  The survery was long, too late to send you home and the doctor decided to keep you overnight or for however long is was.   I've had this happen to me several times.  I had a sinus surgery that was five hours.  It was scheduled for 1 p.m.  When I went in that day, checked in sort of thing, I asked the lady if the ins. Company really thought this is a out patient procedure.  She said yes, but that I was staying overnight anyway.  This is a common error.  Call the doctor, tell them about the insurance and they should switch the coding.  Good luck!

Oh, I also have severe asthma, so helps my case.  I'm sure they can come up with something as to why they had you stay.  

Dianne

I used to work in health insurance and far back as i can remember the lengh it takes to fill out forms should not matter. if your having a procedure no matter if its outpatient or inpatient it depends on the time you are in. if its 24 hours or less its outpatient. anything above 24 hours is inpatient. 

aside from the fact the dilation only took 45 minutes and i met my deductible in that short frame of time. unfortunately im positive theres not much i can in this scenario. on the plus side someone said it above i did already meet my deductible for the year! lol