Dale-Time

In the past few weeks we have had challenges with price shoppers and price squeezers (people who want you to do it for less). I understand that some people are always going to try and get the best deal. And that it’s their normal mode of operation to ask “is that the best price you can do?” I am frustrated at times that they don’t seem to have a clue that I really need every dollar we ask for to keep the lights on and pay the staff. Well, that thought led me to this conclusion.

The health care system, health insurance, Medicaid, Hospice…… causes some people to think that there should be no cost (to them) for taking care of someone’s body, living or dead.

Let’s look at a typical situation cover the last stages of a life.

Susie is in a nursing home, her family has spent down her assets and Medicaid and Social Security is paying for her care and has been for 2 years. The family pays little or no out of pocket expenses. Susie falls, breaks a hip, goes to the emergency room, has surgery, goes to rehab, and recovers for a short period of time. Again the family pays nothing for all of this care and service and facilities. Susie takes a turn for the worse and the family moves her into a Hospice house where she spends the last week of her life. The staff there takes loving care of her 24 hours a day. The family is counseled by social workers and compassionate staff. The family is there using the facility 18 hours a day and more. Again, they pay nothing out of pocket for any of this. In fact they have never even seen any type a bill or statement that would give them any clue of what the facility and staff is actually being paid for their service. In the family’s mind these are just wonderful people taking care of their mother, and it never crosses their mind that these people are actually being monetarily compensated for their time and efforts.

Susie dies. The funeral home comes and takes the same wonderful care of Susie’s body that the nurses, social workers, doctors and multiple other people have done for the last month. We prepare her, bath her, clothe her, provide a new temporary home, plan a wonderful celebration of her life, coordinate everything that goes on with that, provide facilities and staff and even prepare a great meal and reception. Then we show the family a bill for our services and they are shocked. It’s the first time anyone has shown them a bill for the care of their mother. “Everything has been free up to this point, and now we have to pay?”

Listen, I am guilty of the same thing. The drugs I take only cost $10 (that’s my co-pay) and a doctor visit only costs $20. At least it seems that way, because it’s my bookkeeper that sends in the $7500 a month that it costs for the health insurance to cover my family and my staff. Yes, I look at the books daily, but it’s not coming out of my personal checkbook so it’s easy to think that “someone else” is paying for it. Even though that someone else is me, since I own the company.

How do we change this??  I don’t know?? Maybe the government ought to pay for funerals??

I just wish every once and awhile someone would say “ya know, you funeral folks are worth every penny we paid you, thanks for being there when we needed you.”

I’m Dale Clock.  Thanks for listening.