More Good News: Update on St. Vincent's (the Grinch in Beaverton)

This is an update on my post of June 13, about a young cancer survivor in Oregon whose cancer center was insisting that she make larger monthly payments than she could afford on a $700 bill.

Here's that earlier post: Who's the Grinch at St. Vincent's in Beaverton?

After I posted that, I received an e-mail from Maryanne (not her real name) saying that she had called St. Vincent's again, and talked to a different person in the billing office. This person said Maryanne could make payments of $30/month, instead of the $60/month the hospital had earlier insisted was the minimum it would accept.

So this raises an interesting question: If you don't like what one person in the billing office tells you, should you just call right back and hope to get someone else? Like dialing for dollars?

Or wait two weeks and call back? That might be better--you wouldn't want them to think you were too eager to pay off your bill.

Response From St. Vincent's
On June 16, I received this reply to my e-mail of July 13 from Joe DePinto at St. Vincent's:

Dear Jeanne,

I just received your e-mail. If you would be able to supply the name of your reader, I would be more than happy to contact them and assist with their billing questions and payment arrangements.

Sincerely,

Joe DePinto
Customer Service Supervisor
Regional Business Office
Providence Health and Services

That sounds good, but by the time I received that e-mail, Maryanne's problem had already been solved.

How?

Anonymous Donation From a Reader
Over the weekend, I received an e-mail from another cancer survivor who said she wanted to pay Maryanne's medical bill, anonymously. I agreed to be the middle-woman for this donation.

I e-mailed Maryanne and told her, and by the end of our exchanges of e-mails, I was in tears.

Maryanne to Jeanne
OHMIGOD. I read this and just burst into tears. You can imagine how incredibly relieved and thankful and just completely astounded I am. I still can't believe it.

I'll have to write more when I have a chance--am heading out to spend the day with my Dad.

Wow.

Maryanne to Jeanne
(Later that same day)
I'm still in complete disbelief. Wow. ... I feel so weird talking about this--it's a miracle. An absolute miracle.

I've been thinking today--I can buy milk again! At almost $5 a gallon, it's not been enough of a necessity to afford, so I'm really really excited!!!! [This is the part that made me, Jeanne, cry--that she couldn't afford to buy milk.]

Oh my gosh. I'm about ready to cry again!

Jeanne to Maryanne
Oh, sweetie--go and buy yourself some milk! Lots of milk.

The donor will mail me a check, and as soon as I get it I will send you one. I'll just make it out to you, and you can pay the hospital. ...

I'm really happy that this worked out so well. It's not what I expected--I thought we could get the hospital to behave better, and let you make the payments you could afford, but I didn't expect this.

People are good. That's the bottom line, I guess.

Maryanne to Jeanne
(Even later that same day)
I can't wait--I'm going to have cereal ... with milk. And french toast ... with milk. And hot chocolate ... with milk. :) ...

I'm still in shock. Through all of this cancer crap, I've met some awful people (my ex--this is why he's my ex--told me that cancer was my "little problem" and that I needed to stop talking about it to him) and I've met some amazing people, strangers.

I've literally gone through my house and sold everything that I don't "need" on Craigslist to make payments. I've had two people overpay me by $5; one lady even gave me a hug! But, this. This tops them all and I just feel so blessed.

I, too, thought perhaps St V's would realize what morons they were being and offer a better payment plan ... not this! I am just so taken aback and thankful.

And, like most good ideas I find, I plan to pass it on when I'm in a position to. It may be 10 years down the road, but I'd like to do the same for another person in my situation.

Thanks so much for all your help, Jeanne! And please tell this donor that they are for sure an angel!!!!

Note to readers: Do NOT e-mail me and ask me to find someone to pay your medical bills. Can't do it.

My E-mail to St. Vincent's, AKA Providence
Joe--thanks for getting in touch. By the time I received your e-mail, this woman's problem had been solved by a donation from another reader of my blog.

However, if you would like to go to my post about this problem and add a response from the hospital's point of view, I would appreciate it.

See: www.assertivepatient.com

A couple of things disturb me: One, that this woman was told that she MUST make minimum payments of $60/month, which she told the hospital she could not afford.

Two, that different people in your billing office gave her different answers.

Three, the lack of compassion, which is certainly not unique to your billing office. I could tell you stories about Swedish and the UW in Seattle (and have published these on my blog, just in case you think I'm picking on St. Vincent's).

Jeanne

The check from the donor came in yesterday's mail, and I'm mailing Maryanne a check today.

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.

Comments

[Laurie Todd]

I have a saying: What is the only reason to call your insurance company? To find out where to write to.

Please don't call the insurer six times, just for the pleasure of hearing six different answers.

Put it in writing. Purge all emotion from your appeal letter. Remember that a letter to an insurance company is an exercise in ever-so-professional intimidation. Include your talking points, and prove them with facts. Most important, copy the Medical Director of the insurance company, several key vice presidents, and the director of the Medical Society of your state.

Then ... watch the insurance company call YOU on the phone.

Laurie the I.W.

[jeanne]

Laurie--this is mostly good advice, but this woman was calling the billing office at her cancer center.

I agree that you should put things in writing, but I've done that to one of my providers (about a bill that as far as I, and my insurance company, could tell, was an error).

What did they do? Never replied to my letter, just sent me more form letters telling me I owed money, and then sent me to collections.

My insurance co., in contrast to my providers, has been very easy to work with. This is WSHIP, just for the record.

Jeanne