I’ve noticed a lot of people have been coming to my blog from searching keywords such as “how much does it cost to have your jaw wired”. So I want to try to answer as many questions as possible for anyone who is, or may one day end up, in a similar situation.
I don’t have health insurance. So the cost of my accident was definitely my main concern from the moment the ambulance arrived to present day. I told the ambulance, the hospital, the doctors and nurses that I didn’t have health insurance and I even went as far as refusing them to service me if it was going to cost money. They ignored my requests and serviced me anyway telling me not to worry about it. Finally I consented because I knew I had to get my injuries taken care of.
The hospital social worker recommended that I apply for Medicaid just to see if I would qualify. I went down to the Department of Social Services to apply for Medicaid, but from the sorts of questions they were asking me, I could tell that I wasn’t going to be eligible. “Am I disabled?” “Am I unable to work for 6 months?” so I explained my situation more and got passed around to another lady who was very kind and extremely helpful. She told me that I probably shouldn’t even bother applying for medicaid and to fill out the Financial Aid Forms provided by through the hospital. She helped me calculate all of my earnings and expenditures and even faxed all the information out for me so that it would be at the hospital before my surgery.
I got approved for the Financial Aid, but I started getting a lot of bills in the mail. I called the offices and explained that I was approved for Financial Aid through the hospital. Some of the bills, for instance the radiologist bills and hospital clinic bills were taken care of right away and I didn’t have to pay anything. But others, for instance the aneasthesiologist bill, told me to mail them a copy of my financial aid card and they would see what they could do. I sent that one back to them last month and haven’t heard back from them yet. That’s the one bill I am really worried about because it was the most expensive. I go back to the hospital on Thursday to get the wires taken out completely and they will have to put me back to sleep for that, so I can imagine what THAT bill will look like if my financial aid doesn’t cover any of it.
I also got separate bills from my Doctors. I called one of them and explained my situation, but they said there was nothing they could do and that I have to pay the full amount. I went ahead anyway and mailed them a copy of my financial aid card and letter just in case the lady on the phone that day was just in a bad mood. I’m going to be pushy about it.
If it weren’t for the financial aid, I can estimate that my hospital bills since the accident to present day (including going back in to get the wires taken out) would round up to around $3,000 – $3,500. I’m really grateful that I got approved for financial aid, because I know my teeth are going to cost a lot as well, and there’s no way to get around paying the full cost of that.
It sucks that medical care is so expensive. Especially when you don’t have the luxury of insurance, a savings account or a full time job. But I am finding many ways to raise the money for my teeth and I am more than glad to share them. I know a lot of people don’t like to do this (me included) but just tell people about your situation and you will be surprised at how generous people can be. I know I would do the same for my friends if they are ever in a crisis, so I am so grateful for all of the amazing friends and family that are giving me support and helping me out.
Collect Aluminum Cans. Depending on where you live, you might be able to get more money from your cans. You can get a lot more from copper, but I find it easier to just go around on recycling day and pick out as many cans as I can from my neighbors recycling bin or to pick up cans on my commute to and from work, or even going around the trash cans at work and finding cans. Also, ask your friends to save cans for you. Especially if someone is having a party.
Donation Cups. I made some donation cups with a picture of myself that I took right after the accident and a little description about what happened and placed them in local businesses downtown. I’ve only put them in a few places. These are trickier because you have to keep up with them and remember where you put them all. I used tin cans from all of the soups I was eating, but a better idea is to use the containers that Chinese Restaurants use for soup. This way you can cut a hole in the top and people can deposit the money through there. There’s less of a chance of people taking money out of your can.
Paid Emails and Surveys. Since I was out of work for a while, I had plenty of free time to kill around the house. I joined many of those “get paid to read emails and do survey” websites. While I come to find out some of them to be scams, others are actually pretty legit and I received payments from one of them. I will compile a list later about which ones I use and which ones to stay away from.
I have also been working on a zine about my accident which will include everything from details of what exactly happened to me to the things I ate and how I felt. Basically it will include much of this blog plus extra stuff and more details.
That’s all I can think of for right now, but I’m pretty sure there are more things I am doing. Feel free to email me with any questions you have at babetoothless@gmail.com
