Hospital and Bahamas

First, I must apologize for my error in last week’s column. I said how sad it was that Jasper Memorial Hospital (JMH) doesn’t take Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BC/BS). I have to admit, I didn’t do much fact-checking.

I had a very disappointed and upset individual call me because indeed, JMH does not take BC/BS for swing beds. That is because BC/BS will not pay enough to offset the expenses, according to JMH administrator Jan Gaston.

And, inquiries last year about Primary Care accepting the BC/BS users of the Affordable Care Act (ACA)were met with a negative. That happened because in the initial months of the ACA, providers in this area were not being paid by BC/BS. Not being undercompensated, but not compensated at all. Obviously, no institution can stay afloat without revenue.

The Swing Bed which provides inpatient rehabilitation services including intensive physical therapy, allows patients to regain their strength and mobility before returning home from surgeries such as a hip or knee replacements.

While large facilities such as the ones in Macon and Atlanta are powerful enough to push major insurance companies to a reasonable, if not fair, rate for the care they render, Jasper Memorial Hospital does not have the same leverage, said Mrs. Gaston.

So, JMH does accept BC/BS, and many other insurances. And, we need to support our hospital because it is definitely vital to our community.

So, if you have a question about your insurance, whether it is a form of BC/BS or something else, just call, and they will be glad to help you, and more than likely be able to help you!

And, I promise I will do my homework next time before I blast a vital institution…or anything or anyone else.

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It’s possible one reason I didn’t do my homework last week is because I was so excited about my Christmas present. You see, for Christmas this year (2014), my family agreed to take a Bahamas cruise rather than exchanging a lot of gifts.

Now anyone who has followed our moving saga knows we were in chaos with just getting the last of the old office over to the new office at the final hour. Much of that last stuff is still boxed up in the middle of the floor. And, yes, I left for a cruise like that.

You see, when I booked the cruise I had no idea we would still be unsettled from the move. And the cabins were already paid for…you can’t pass up a five day vacation that you’ve already paid for even if the timing is not the best.

And, it was 12 degrees here last Thursday when we headed to the warm Bahamas. We got on the boat in Jacksonville, Fla., and it wasn’t a great deal warmer there, as everyone is wearing hoodies and jackets, scarves and hats in the boarding photos. But, as we sailed south, we were rewarded. The weather was good…much better than here, and we had lots of fun.

Stay tuned for more on our vacation….if I remember I’ll tell you about it next week.