Hospital Bill, German style [View all]

As some of DU knows, I just had two heart procedures done at a top cardiac clinic here in Germany. I am still waiting for the bill for the first one, the one where I was in and out the same day. But I just got the bill for the second one. I had a heart ablation done (successful!!), and was kept overnight, because they wanted to keep constant observation over the puncture wound. I was expecting about $15,000 to $20,000. I got the bill for that treatment today. It was €7664, or about $8,737.

From what I understand, the same bill at a decent clinic in the USA (anyone who knows from experience please set me straight if I am way off) would have cost somewhere between two and four times as much.

Being Blue Cross, from past experience, I expect them to deny 100% of this. I will not be surprised if they do, but German health insurance available to me costs $35,000 a year, so I am still way ahead of the game. If I get zero reimbursement, I get to deduct it from my German taxes, so, in fact, it will only cost me a net of about $4500. It seems a small price to pay for a heart that should now be good for another 20 years or so. Since EVERYONE in my family gets cancer sooner or later, that will probably be more than enough.

Gas may be hugely expensive here, but staying alive is a hell of a lot cheaper.