Whew! There are some things in life where you'll say "I'm glad that it's over". Many say that even though you avoid it, there'll always be some challenges that you'll encounter. You might end up in a life or death situation and there are times when you'll ask yourself, when will you be ready for that to happen to you. When will you be ready?
It's started 2 months ago. It's my fourth month in our company (call center) and we started taking in calls. If you're familiar with what we're doing in this kind of job, your voice is your bread and butter. One day, a call center agent's nightmare happened to me. I lost my voice.
I thought the hoarseness was caused by my cough w/c has been bothering me for a couple of weeks and I though a pulmunologist will be able to give me meds to take and everything will be back to normal. But it didn't. It got worse! I completely lost my voice and wasn't able to work.
Two weeks of paid leaves passed and still no voice. I decided to have it checked to an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor. My first doctor with medicard saw something and wented me do undergo laryngoscopy and have pictures taken inside my mouth and throat.
The day after my laryngoscopy, they saw white patches on my vocal chord and the doctor said that's the one that causes the hoarseness. I said ok and now what? Is it serious? He said that I might have laryngeal tuberculosis and he'll refer me to a pulmunologist. Which I did weeks ago.
I went to the lung doctor. He said that I have to have several tests like sputum test, x-ray and PPD to confirm if I have TB or not. I was negative for the sputum and x-ray but was positive for the PPD. They've measured the lump and it was 8mm. Which was at the border. So what the doctor did was he prescribed anti-TB meds. It was just for prophylaxis or in other words, preventive medication.
August came and I have to have a follow-up check up. But the thing is our company changed health cards and my doctors we're not accredited. I did what I have to, that is, to change doctors.
The pulmunologist that I had said he's not convinced that I have TB and he wanted me to go back to an ENT to have it checked, again. And so I did. The new ENT said that I might have the big-C or it might be in pre-cancerous stage and he wanted to have a biopsy to get a sample and have pathologists check it.
When he said I needed to be confined for a couple of days and I have to fis things with my health card to make sure if everything will be covered, the nightmare started.
We spoke to a representative from the health card (Fortune Care) and guaranteed a friend of mine that it's is covered and the maximum that they can cover for the room is P2000. By the way, the card's limit is P100,000. thinking that everything is ok, I went to the hospital (Medical City), checked in last August 27 since my opreation was set on August 28.
Everything came smoothly, the operation was a success and I didn't feel any pain nor side effects after. Many friends visited and my family was there (didn't happen before 'til now). At that time, I thought it was happening as I wanted it to but wait there's more!
A representative of the health card came to my room and told us that they're only covering P40,000 not P100,000. She told us the full limit is only for dreaded diseases and I was only just having a biopsy done. I was shocked but still prayed that everything will be covered.
Saturday came, the moment of truth! My mom and I (believe it!) went to the billing window and asked for the amount due so that I can be discharged. We got the bill and we only have to pay P45,000 but the P40,000 is covered by my health card. But no! That's what she thought, the woman from the cashier told us that the amount is already net of the health card. OMG!
My sister checked the statement of account again. Buti na lang she looked at it and we found out that the Philhealth was not yet deducted. So P7,000 was taken out of the amount and the only amt that remained was P38,000. Still OMG! Where am I gonna get that amount? Is there anyone who has that amount these days?
We asked them if there's any way that we could contact the doctor and tell them that we'll settle the professional fees to them personally. By the way the PFs were P25,000 for the ENT and P10,000 for the anesthesiologist! But the representative told us that there's no way and told us that we have to pay it or I'll stay in the hospital and they won't let us leave until we pay it off. Parang illegal confinement na yun di ba?
Out of the blue, my sister's husband sent a text message to my mom and said he can let us borrow the P30,000 since my bebe was able to borrow P10,000 from a couple of friends and some from his own pocket (Thanks Pics, John, Orly and ONY!!!).
But we can't stand paying that amount, P40,000 in cold cash, c'mon!
With Ony's perseverance and kakulitan, by calling the Customer service and biling department of the hospital, all of a sudden they "said" that they were able to contact the doctor and he gave permission for us to settle the PFs with them instead.
Ending, it was already Sunday afternoon and i was discharged and paid P5000 ( excess hospital bill and additional day for the room!).
A week has passed and I thought of sending an email to my doctor to see if we can get a discount. Instead he only told us we can pay the P35,000 when we have the money. So when I went there, I paid P15,000 for the ENT, P8,000 for the anesthesiologist and P2,500 for my pulmunologist. And the money that was left, I'm going to save it 'till I go back to work and once I have my pay check again, I'll pay them and the ones that I owed some money.
The result of the biopsy indicated that I don't have cancer and it hasn't even reached the pre-cancerous stage. the doctor prescribed anti-biotics and I only have to go back for a follow-up check up after three months to see how am I doing. He also suggested that I should stop smoking (which I'm doing badly, and drink less alcohol).
Throughout this ordeal I realized that we should always be ready for something like this to happen everyday. We should be emotionally, physically, mentally and financially ready for whatever that comes. I am gonna start saving money and not taking my health for granted. Sabi nga nila "nasa huli ang pagsisisi". Sige ka ikaw rin...
It's started 2 months ago. It's my fourth month in our company (call center) and we started taking in calls. If you're familiar with what we're doing in this kind of job, your voice is your bread and butter. One day, a call center agent's nightmare happened to me. I lost my voice.
I thought the hoarseness was caused by my cough w/c has been bothering me for a couple of weeks and I though a pulmunologist will be able to give me meds to take and everything will be back to normal. But it didn't. It got worse! I completely lost my voice and wasn't able to work.
Two weeks of paid leaves passed and still no voice. I decided to have it checked to an ENT (ear, nose and throat) doctor. My first doctor with medicard saw something and wented me do undergo laryngoscopy and have pictures taken inside my mouth and throat.
The day after my laryngoscopy, they saw white patches on my vocal chord and the doctor said that's the one that causes the hoarseness. I said ok and now what? Is it serious? He said that I might have laryngeal tuberculosis and he'll refer me to a pulmunologist. Which I did weeks ago.
I went to the lung doctor. He said that I have to have several tests like sputum test, x-ray and PPD to confirm if I have TB or not. I was negative for the sputum and x-ray but was positive for the PPD. They've measured the lump and it was 8mm. Which was at the border. So what the doctor did was he prescribed anti-TB meds. It was just for prophylaxis or in other words, preventive medication.
August came and I have to have a follow-up check up. But the thing is our company changed health cards and my doctors we're not accredited. I did what I have to, that is, to change doctors.
The pulmunologist that I had said he's not convinced that I have TB and he wanted me to go back to an ENT to have it checked, again. And so I did. The new ENT said that I might have the big-C or it might be in pre-cancerous stage and he wanted to have a biopsy to get a sample and have pathologists check it.
When he said I needed to be confined for a couple of days and I have to fis things with my health card to make sure if everything will be covered, the nightmare started.
We spoke to a representative from the health card (Fortune Care) and guaranteed a friend of mine that it's is covered and the maximum that they can cover for the room is P2000. By the way, the card's limit is P100,000. thinking that everything is ok, I went to the hospital (Medical City), checked in last August 27 since my opreation was set on August 28.
Everything came smoothly, the operation was a success and I didn't feel any pain nor side effects after. Many friends visited and my family was there (didn't happen before 'til now). At that time, I thought it was happening as I wanted it to but wait there's more!
A representative of the health card came to my room and told us that they're only covering P40,000 not P100,000. She told us the full limit is only for dreaded diseases and I was only just having a biopsy done. I was shocked but still prayed that everything will be covered.
Saturday came, the moment of truth! My mom and I (believe it!) went to the billing window and asked for the amount due so that I can be discharged. We got the bill and we only have to pay P45,000 but the P40,000 is covered by my health card. But no! That's what she thought, the woman from the cashier told us that the amount is already net of the health card. OMG!
My sister checked the statement of account again. Buti na lang she looked at it and we found out that the Philhealth was not yet deducted. So P7,000 was taken out of the amount and the only amt that remained was P38,000. Still OMG! Where am I gonna get that amount? Is there anyone who has that amount these days?
We asked them if there's any way that we could contact the doctor and tell them that we'll settle the professional fees to them personally. By the way the PFs were P25,000 for the ENT and P10,000 for the anesthesiologist! But the representative told us that there's no way and told us that we have to pay it or I'll stay in the hospital and they won't let us leave until we pay it off. Parang illegal confinement na yun di ba?
Out of the blue, my sister's husband sent a text message to my mom and said he can let us borrow the P30,000 since my bebe was able to borrow P10,000 from a couple of friends and some from his own pocket (Thanks Pics, John, Orly and ONY!!!).
But we can't stand paying that amount, P40,000 in cold cash, c'mon!
With Ony's perseverance and kakulitan, by calling the Customer service and biling department of the hospital, all of a sudden they "said" that they were able to contact the doctor and he gave permission for us to settle the PFs with them instead.
Ending, it was already Sunday afternoon and i was discharged and paid P5000 ( excess hospital bill and additional day for the room!).
A week has passed and I thought of sending an email to my doctor to see if we can get a discount. Instead he only told us we can pay the P35,000 when we have the money. So when I went there, I paid P15,000 for the ENT, P8,000 for the anesthesiologist and P2,500 for my pulmunologist. And the money that was left, I'm going to save it 'till I go back to work and once I have my pay check again, I'll pay them and the ones that I owed some money.
The result of the biopsy indicated that I don't have cancer and it hasn't even reached the pre-cancerous stage. the doctor prescribed anti-biotics and I only have to go back for a follow-up check up after three months to see how am I doing. He also suggested that I should stop smoking (which I'm doing badly, and drink less alcohol).
Throughout this ordeal I realized that we should always be ready for something like this to happen everyday. We should be emotionally, physically, mentally and financially ready for whatever that comes. I am gonna start saving money and not taking my health for granted. Sabi nga nila "nasa huli ang pagsisisi". Sige ka ikaw rin...
