I’m kind of kicking myself today. I took my 5 year old in to Pediatrics @ Nite yesterday (urgent care for kids) and the flu swab test confirmed what I suspected – she has the flu.
I’d been meaning to get her and her sister a flu shot (the baby got one with her last set of shots) but had put it off. A flu shot would have been maybe $20 or $30 at the pediatrician’s office but take a look at what I may be spending in total on her flu.
$35 – Pediatrics @ Nite office visit co-pay
$12 – Pediatrics @ Nite Sunday care supplement fee
$35 – Flu Swab test (may not be covered by my insurance)
$80 – Established patient / standard visit (may not be covered)
$70 – Tamiflu
Total: $232
Right now I’m not sure if my health insurance will cover the flu swab test or the visit since Pediatrics @ Nite may be deemed out-of-network. The last time we paid a visit to Pediatrics @ Nite was in 2006 and I don’t remember it being out-of-network at the time, and it’s not like I checked ahead of time yesterday.
So my choices were to spend 3 hours in the Emergency Room or 30 minutes at Pediatrics @ Nite. My gut said she had the flu and I had to choose one of the two options. Since my pediatrician’s office is closed today due to President’s Day, I knew I’d be too late to get Tamiflu if I waited until Tuesday.
Ugh. Now I’m kicking myself. If only I’d taken the time and spent less than $30 on the flu shot for my 5 year old, I might not have spent so much money on care for the flu, but then again, she could have gotten the flu shot and still gotten the flu. You never really know.
So anyway, have you ever been in a similar position, where if you’d only spent a little, you could have saved a lot? Maybe your stories will help me feel better!
