My Inner Frannie

The CDC recommends that travelers receive Hep A, Hep B, Typhoid, and Tetanus shots prior to traveling to El Salvador. So, today I went downtown to a doctor to get those shots. Geoff had already gone there last week and had said that some of the shots would require a follow-up dose; my going today would allow for that buffer period to pass before I could get the second dose.

As it turns out, getting properly immunized is very expensive! In fact, neither the cost of the travel vaccines nor the visitation fee is covered by most insurance policies. When the nurse broke it down for me, I was flabbergasted. --In all, that would mean $250 for the visit alone, and another $360 for the shots! Holy smokes.

I was actually outraged over the amount of money that the girl had stated. I figured that there had to be some sort of mistake or loophole. Wishfully, I called up my insurance company, but they confirmed the disheartening fact that they would cover no part of the fees. Frustrated and desperate (and really, shameless), I ended up talking to the nurses for a while, because I wanted them to help me find a solution. They wanted me to go back on Wednesday, after they have a chance to consult their "fees person" about giving me a discount. That wasn't an option for me, since even going there today had required me to leave work early, and leaving early on Wednesday is absolutely out of the question. But, I also did not think I wanted to be a cowgirl about paying the $600 today. So, I kept asking if there was anyone she could talk to who was there...

Eventually, the girl relented and went to go talk to the doc, and they both agreed to turn the visit into a consultation for my chronic asthma condition. That way, they could legitimately bill my insurance for the visit, and I would only have to pay for the shots themselves. --Score! So, not only did I end up saving more than $200 on the visit today, but I also got some free allergy medicine samples and some free asthma advice! Good stuff.

--Basically, what I'm trying to say is that I hustled them today. ;) The whole time while I was talking to the nurse, I had pictured my friend Olajide in my head. I knew that if she was there, she'd be hustlin' them like mad, so I did my best to invoke my inner Frannie. And it actually worked. wow. :)