Medical complications

Medical complications are the little fine print that is listed at the bottom of the form you sign before consenting for the procedure. Or they can be that lovely 'side effect' of a procedure or something. How do you really define it? Is my husband's keloid scarring after surgery that required further treatment a medical complication? Is a friend's reaction to chemo that required hospitalization considered a medical complication? Is an infection after surgery considered a complication?

I think we all basically assume that with any medical procedure, that there is some risk of complication, reaction, infection, etc that requires the need for additional treatment.

At first glance this article makes sense "Who Pays for Medical Complications". Insurance companies are not reimbursing providers for additional care needed after medical complications in an effort for hospitals to use safer procedures and cleaner facilities. Logic is there I think.

But wait a minute, how are insurance companies allowed to make decisions like this? For example, where will they draw the line? What if they say 'after any appendectomy a patient who needs more than two days of antibiotics is clearly having a complication and we won't cover that'? I am all for nice clean, modern medical facilities but I really dislike judgment calls on my medical care made by big corporations who are looking at the bottom line and not on what I really need to be healthy again.

Enough food for thought for the day. I am motivated to get up and get moving this morning. We are off for a fun day. I can't wait.