I'm not sure if heart attacks are "covered"

I nearly went into cardiac arrest today when I received a bill in the mail. It was from my doctor, and the amount I owed, from neatly tallied visit expenses, was nearly $500.

Mr. P and I, who are basically self-employed, have new health insurance as of this year. I was very proud of myself for finding an "affordable" plan that would cover routine doctor visits (at least, that's what I understood), in exchange for a low monthly payment and $25 co-pays. We had been without insurance for the better part of 2006, and we were no longer willing to play with fate.

Last year, I became afflicted with periodic dizzy spells, which picked up in frequency earlier this year. Not one to ever rush to the doctor, I feared my body might be trying to tell me something, and I decided to get it checked out. During the course of my visits to the doctor, during which time I had my heart thoroughly tested and checked out, I would receive statements from my insurance company, with detail of office and tests expenses, "repriced" amounts and, in a little box on the bottom, a number, under a column titled, "covered medical." Each of these statements came with the heading, "This is NOT a bill." So, I thought, 'how nice! They are covering all of my expenses! Wow. Isn't it nice to have insurance again?'

Until today, I thought I was one lucky American. Michael Moore was wrong; some Americans don't pay much for insurance and still get their expenses covered. Then the bill came, the bill I was not expecting, and my illusion was shattered. And I feel like such an idiot for believing otherwise.

The irony of the whole thing is, I may not have gone to the doctor at all for these dizzy spells, if I had known I would be paying for so many of the tests. (Yes, that is how cheap I am.) As it turned out, my dizzy spells miraculously stopped - and I mean STOPPED - a few days after my last visit to the doctor. Was it psychological? I'm not sure. The tests (and I took many) confirmed that my heart was in perfect working order, so thank goodness for that; I am certainly grateful to be in good health. For today, at least, I will not be a woman who suffers from heart disease and is unaware of it.

Basically, what I received as an insured patient was a discount on my expenses. I suppose it's not the end of the world. I don't pay high taxes, and now I know that I am in excellent health. However, I am concerned about what will happen if I, or Mr. P, ever actually get sick.