If you had to have an operation...

WOW! Are you going through this?! Well I guess as we own our house I would tap out our home equity. Though we don't have much and I don't think it would be enough to cover all that. Then I would try for bank loans I guess. And setting up payment plans with the doctors and hospitals. I just ranted on another friends discussions about our health care in this country. It's a damn same that we actually have to worry about things like this - instead of us having universal health care and actually taking care of our fellow neighbors.

If it's a surgery you must have sometimes the hospital has charity help ask them for a form? Does your state have any kind of Medicaid?

I have insurance. However, my mother does not. She had surgery last year. The cost was similar. She has had to make some payment arrangements. The rest, I believe she put on a credit card. Because we live in different states, my current company would not allow me or my husband to put her on our policy. It is a sad state to be in at her age. So many other countries have a national healthcare system. Might be worth looking into.