Twice this week we've been late on a medical bill without having intended to be. One was a hospital bill - there were six separate charges for this particular day - that went to the hospital's internal collections unit. I received a call at work and paid it on the spot. Another was a bill from the state - our portion of the early intervention - we need to overnight a check so as not to interrupt service for our son.
We had the money set aside for both, but had no idea they were due.
I was appalled.
I've never been late on a bill in my life until my son's bills started coming through the door. It's not necessarily the cost - thought it is expensive - so much as that the bills are extremely confusing. They all look different. In some cases, they don't even look like a bill. And they come in packs, like wild dogs, for the same date of service (sometimes multiple copies of the same bill).
I don't know what to do to get these under control. There's part of me that thinks that I need an accountant to help me.
I plan to write periodically about the operational side of having a child with a disability; scheduling, billing, reimbursements, etc... I suspect I'm not the only one who struggles with understanding these bills.
Right now I feel like I do in the spring when the sugar ants invade our kitchen - always happens. I just can't clean up fast enough; and I can't help feeling that there will be another swarm in the morning.
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