Thankful Thursday

I have received a lot of mail lately, but it hasn't been mail that I've been eager to open.

Instead of letters from friends or family -- seriously, who sends letters anymore? -- the mail I've been receiving is the kind that comes in white business envelopes with glassine windows.  Reading the return addresses on these envelopes can turn the best day into the worst and the worst day into hell.        

Like it or not, my mail box has been inundated with envelopes that contain Explanations of Benefits and bills from doctors and laboratories.  Ugh.  The trip to the ER on April 21 and the resulting doctor visits and lab work have unleashed a torrent of bills.

I wish I had never asked my husband to take me to the ER.  And every time I open one of those d*mned envelopes, I wish it even more fervently.  But it's too late.  I started something that has taken on a life of its own and there's not much I can do to stop it.

Thankfully, I have health insurance. 

I don't know how we could possibly pay these bills if we didn't have insurance or if our coverage was less comprehensive.  Even with health insurance, we will ultimately have to pay a staggering amount before I completely satisfy my deductible.

How do people manage who can't afford health insurance or who, for whatever reason, aren't insurable due to preexisting conditions?  I can't imagine what it would be like to be in that situation.  Even with insurance and the ability (at least for now) to pay my bills, I struggle to not freak out.

I am incredibly thankful that my husband is able to provide health insurance for our family.  I wish I didn't need to become so familiar with the details of our coverage, but it definitely beats the uninsured alternative.