Rule Britannia's National Health Care Service

Sorry for the week's hiatus! The re-immersion to the workplace after a week off for Spring Break's virtual trip to England has been a reverse culture shock! Actually, the shock has mostly been the getting up at 4:45 again and driving 43 miles one way to work!

Today I celebrate the British National Health Service through a pair of rosy tinted spectacles. I was horrified this evening to open up a medical bill for $662 for a 10 minute trip to the GP's and three labs. The price was so enormous because the labs were done at the doctor's office rather than the laboratory. If they would have been done at the laboratory instead of the doctor's office where I was too sick to remember this minor detail in my vertiginous state, the cost of the labs would have been covered at 100%. Cost to me...nada.

It simply isn't in the nature of people who were raised in the National Health Service to remember to ask whether such and such is covered under the health plan for which one pays through the nose each month. In England, admittedly we pay high taxes but when you go to the doctor's you can go and not worry about whether you can afford a basic doctor's visit (and yes, I am not talking about serious surgery or anything here). You call the practice, get an appoinment within the day and s/he makes you well. When s/he says "We're going to take some blood work" and you are so nauseous that you can't raise your head through fear of spray painting the room with puke, you don't tend to think "Gosh, I must first ascertain whether they are in my lab network" before you consent to allow them to do all in their power to restore you to health.

I'm not a political creature as anyone who knows me will testify but this made me cross at the plain unfairness and stupidity of it. I am really mad. I'm going to fight it. The cost of a phone call and 20 minutes of excruciating negotiations with the billing department of a large hospital will be the price I pay for reducing the cost of this ludicrous bill.....I hope. I will use my most reasonable voice and articulate my vowels slowly and clearly in case they are not used to talking to a Brit. I don't want that to go against me!

If anyone has got any advice for me before I place the call and say all the wrong things, please do not hesitate to let me know!