“Into each life some rain must fall. Some days will be dark and dreary.” – Henry Wordsworth Longfellow

“Your bill is J$2,100,”  the cashier muttered.  As I handed over the money to the cashier at the hospital, I wondered what would have happened if I didn’t have enough money to pay for the admittance fee. Would they not attend to my six-year old son’s obvious case of emergency?

“Your lab fees are J$1,734 and the cost of the disposables is J$2,926.”  One more time I had to pay the smiling cashier to ensure that the emergency care was provided.  Hours later, as I prepared to leave the hospital with my son, the nurse handed me the documents with a note that there was yet one more bill to be paid.

“Your charge is J$1,904.” As I handed over the money, I realized that my early morning emergency had already cost me over J$8,600, and this was with health insurance! With the cost of medication to come, I knew that my budget for this month had just been turned upside down. Continue reading When Emergency Strikes →