Money.... no, INSURANCE... rules the world

I completely understand that health care is expensive and that the doctors and hospitals have a difficult time sometimes getting folks to pay their bills but some of the things we've encountered in the past couple of days are just downright ridiculous.
I was at work when they took ross to the hospital, but he was admitted to the Emergency Room and they asked him for payment BEFORE anyone ever saw him. He is there with a very serious break, can't speak but relates to them that his pain is a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 and they ask him for money rather than giving him meds!
Then, yesterday morning the surgen came in to examine him. He looked at him for a couple of seconds and then asked him about his insurance. We weren't sure wether or not Ross's insurance had taken effect yet so Ross told him the situation. He tells Ross that he better get it straightened out or that he was going to have to come up with some way to pay before the surgery could be done.
So, this morning I call the surgen's office and pretty much got put off by his staff. I told her that we DID have insurance (his work confirmed that we did) but we just didn't have the number yet but would have it by the end of the day. I explained that we were just waiting to hear back from the guy in the benefits department. I told her that I didn't want Ross's surgery to be delayed because of payment, and she said that the best way to make sure that doesn't happen would be to send a deposit of two thousand dollars and then proceeded to give me the doctor's name and P.O. Box.
I asked her was it standard proceedure to ask an insured patient to send a two thousand dollar check prior to surgery. She didn't have much of an answer for me. She just kept stressing over and over that the surgery was going to be over ten thousand dollars. I kept answering back saying that we have insurance. It mattered none to her.
I told her I would send the check but pointed out that I felt as though we were being treated like a charity case. She at first got offended and began to tell me the doctors impecible record and whatnot. I told her that I just felt like they were stalling the surgery or putting other people ahead of us strictly because of money. At some point during the phone call I think she realized that she needed to make sure that we were taken care of so that they will stay in the good graces of Blue Cross. By the end of the call, she was giving me her direct line and telling me over and over that if I needed anything to please call.
It is just pathetic that the doctor is more worried about his payment than he is the patient. He didn't explain anything to Ross. He didn't tell him what the surgery would entail, how long it would take, how long the recovery usually is, or even what he was going to do. He only talked to Ross about how he was going to get his money. I don't think that is the role a doctor should be taking.
I don't know if it was because they finally got confirmation that we do, in fact, have insurance or the comotion I caused this morning, but the doctor and his staff lady both called today and checked in. Both being very thorough about everything now.

Sorry about the rant.

Ross is being a real tropper. He is able to swallow a little better today than he was yesterday so he is a little more comfortable. His IV was hurting him so we got the nurse to move it to the other hand. He talked her into letting him take a shower after she took the one out and before putting in the new one. I think this made him feel much better. He had been here for close to three days and had arrived straight from the rugby field. He said he was feeling so gross. He even brushed his teeth a little. Now he has on the gown and is ready for the surgery tomorrow.

It is kinda cool that the hospital has wi-fi so I'm able to get work done and update this blog while sitting here keeping Ross company. Plus, it will give him something to do when I'm gone. Play computer games or catch up with friends on facebook.