Being sick in California is an expensive hobby.
Recently, I spent about 14 hours at San Ramon Medical Center. My bill was $14,006.24. Thank God I have insurance, but had to incur co-pay. I called the company to dispute the bill. They refused. I called my insurer, Kaiser Permanente. They refused. I received a copy of my medical records, 148 pages, more than an inch high.
The object being that I could read through all this medical gobbledygook to try to understand what the bill was for and then dispute it. I do not have the time and money, aged 78, to spend seven years at medical school in order to understand my treatment.
My recommendation is keep yourself as healthy as you can, because if you challenge the medical system in California, you will make yourself really ill.
Tancred Agius
Walnut Creek
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