CAN YOU BELIEVE IT????????????????????????????????????????
Wednesday December 30, 2015 8:47 amI'm not sure yet if I'm going to go with the thought... can you believe it... that I'm off work (beginning today) for a week: or... can you believe it... that with the passing of today and tomorrow we will be into a new year! Or... can you believe it... that I have finally (sort of) decided on a timetable for knee replacement surgery. I think I will lean toward the latter for this blog, but sprinkle in thoughts on the other two competing ideas.
The first thought is really only important to me. Especially considering that I'm not planning to go anywhere special during my week off. Although, just being off work and even without going out of town is still really nice!
WOW! 2016... I swear, when I was a younger man 2016 seemed so far distant into a future I never dreamed I would be alive to see that the year coming up was an incomprehensible number! Yet, it is almost upon us!
Yesterday after conversing with my caregiver (again) at Accolade I was finally able to put a dollar figure to having both knee replacements. Out of pocket my total cost will only be 6,000 per knee.
If you consider the cost for a 10-14 day hospital stay, anesthesiologist, orthopedic surgeon, medicines, rehab, etc. etc. etc. then that amount of money is actually very little in today's economy. The 10-14 day hospital stay is an extremely long one compared to most knee replacements. However, because the operating surgeon will not be the one who also does the rehab (once the patient is home) they initially keep the patient in the hospital to be certain everything is well on its way toward healing before the person is released.
The surgery (as of this time) would take place at John Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland. The company I work for offers certain surgeries with zero out of pocket expense for their employees. Any type of heart surgery (Cleveland Clinic) is no cost, knee, and hip replacement... no cost: and spine surgery also has zero cost to the employee.
It really is a good program as they will fly the patient and their spouse to the city the hospital is in and for whatever time the person remains in the hospital all expenses that are incurred by both people are covered by the employer. In addition to air fare and the hotel being taken care of, all food costs for the person traveling with the patient are paid by the company and they give money for cab fares and they even add on a daily allowance for gratuity! (I'm quite certain all cab drivers, waiters, etc. are glad for this extra perk as well.)
And once everyone has returned home all follow up care, meds rehab, etc. are also covered at 100 percent! But, the 12,000 expense (for both knees) would be the money I will lose while not being paid while I rehab.
So, compared to the numbers Blue Cross Blue Shield gives for a complete knee replacement of 31,000 to 71,000 per knee (and that does not include separate costs of travel expense etc.) then my 6,000 per knee is a paltry fee.
So, my time line for surgery... drum roll please: I don't know yet :)
Seriously all I know for certain is that I am planning to have my right knee replaced in the upcoming year. with the following year for my left knee.
The only negative... if a person can call it a negative is that with my present employer they will only replace one knee at a time during surgery. Whereas the local surgeon (Bell) who gave me the five shot series of hyaluronic acid injections would do both knees in the same operation. So, I could be done with rehab in about the same amount of time for both knees as will be required for one knee. Albeit, my out of pocket expense increases about 12 fold!
So, I guess it's going to be one knee at a time :)
I hope any who reads this has a nice day today!
One more thing... I'm torn between going to the Yum Center in Louisville tomorrow night and helping Kid Rock ring in the new year, or simply staying home and doing nothing special to celebrate the passing of the old year into the new one.
Before I sat down this morning to type I was leaning toward and evening out tomorrow... now as I see that last paragraph in print I'm thinking that maybe Ritchie will have to ring in the new year tomorrow night without my presence.
posted by Robin Johnson @ 8:47 AM
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