The Value of My Time

Yesterday, I spent just over an hour arguing with customer service reps to decrease an exorbitant medical bill from a routine doctor visit. I left having saved myself an extra $30. So it seems my time is worth under $30 an hour.

This afternoon, we asked a cab to drive us to the hotel in the pouring rain. He offered to for 50 RMB. Knowing that $8 was ridiculous for such a short ride, we chose to walk with luggage and sleepy children through the rain for just under an hour. So we have established my time is worth less than $8 an hour.

But I have a project at home which could save me $150. I asked my mom to pick up a prescription for me before her last visit. When I told her it may be expensive, I expected a bill of around $30. When she received the $200 receipt, she didn’t flinch. Well, she probably thought me a bit frivolous. But she paid - I had told her it would be expensive. The pharmacy did not have my current insurance card, and so provided the prescription without any coverage - hence the high bill. And although I will spend an hour arguing down my current bill by $30, I have yet to find the time to attempt the fix on this one. Perhaps because even at $6 an hour - which seems to be my established rate - I don’t think a fight with the prescription insurance people would end up being worth my time.