Uninsured Surgery

I went to the hospital back in August, with severe pain in my stomach. I was told I had an inflamed gallbladder and gall stones and needed to have surgery to remove them. I was supposed to follow up with an appointment with a surgeon on the following Monday. However, I was getting married that coming week, and I decided to put off the surgery. Now I have no medical insurance and very little income. Does the hospital have any special programs to cover this? Should I just go to the Emergency Room and have it taken care of? Thanks for your time. 

Dr. Mark Says:

It has been at least four months since you were diagnosed with an inflamed gall bladder, and you should not put off medical treatment any longer. Do not wait for an emergency before you seek help. The Emergency Department is meant for acute symptoms and we would gladly treat those if they develop, but ultimately your gallbladder would be surgically removed at a scheduled appointment and not during the Emergency Department visit. Assuming all of your lab work and clinical symptoms were within normal limits, we would refer you to a surgeon as an outpatient to schedule that.

Allegiance Health partners in a program called Project Access, which provides medical care for eligible people without health insurance. You can talk with a representative there by calling (517) 796-4511. You may also find that you are eligible for Medicaid or other coverage. Please don’t hesitate to call. 

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