Call your insurance provider, or doctor and see if they can spare someone. Caregivers, there are people who get paid to stay with people like you and help around the house, drive you to the doctor, etc. Inquire about those kind of helping people.
Once you are able to get the surgery I don't believe the hospital can force you to stay. Do you think you'd be able to walk out and get into an Uber or taxi? If so that might be an option. Of course you don't want to do anything that is actually dangerous.
Here is some advice that might help:
The Discharge Process
Can I be kept in the hospital against my will? No. The hospital can be liable for "false imprisonment" if hospital officials attempt to prevent you from leaving. You should discuss your condition and reasons for wanting to leave with your physician before leaving.
Can the hospital require that my bill be paid or that arrangements for payment be made before I am discharged? No. If you physician says you are medically ready to leave, the hospital must discharge you. If you decide to leave without your physician's approval, the hospital still must let you go.
What happens if I try to leave the hospital on my own? The hospital administrator and nurses will urge you to stay because they have a duty to attempt to make you follow medical advice. If you insist on leaving, they will usually ask you to sign an against-medical-advice (AMA) form.
What is an against-medical-advice form? This form states that you have left the hospital against the advice of your physician. It also states that you release the hospital and physicians from any liability for injuries caused by leaving the hospital.
Must I sign this form? No.
Should I sign this form? No. You should prepare a letter explaining why you are leaving the hospital. You should keep a copy of this letter, and you should give a copy to the hospital administrator.
https://biotech.law.lsu.edu/books/aspen/Aspen-The-15.html
This doesn't apply in my case as they do the surgery in an outpatient surgery center independent of the hospital.
However, this is great information on our rights and to protect ourselves!
People also need to know how to protect themselves from insurance companies! I've had a couple insurance companies really do me dirty. The first one got away with it, but I learned and the second company didn't.
I had a major surgery and the bill came to a hair under $100,000. I had paid the out of pocket maximum for the year so Blue Cross was to cover it 100%. Blue Cross sent me a letter stating they were only going to pay 50% of the bill and no explanation given.
Before calling Blue Cross, I reviewed the policy carefully and set up a tape recorder. I called and got a hold of management. They came up with a number of unjustified excuses. I was able to counter every excuse, reading from the policy to support my position. Finally, she ran out of excuses and out of frustration started going off the wall and being just being ridiculous. Finally I let her know I was recording the call. That stopped her in her tracts and suddenly she was going to check into the matter further.
The very next day I received an email saying they were covering 100% of the bill! Many people don't realize that it is legal to record a call and it can be used in court in the majority of states. There are only 11 states, all in the west, where recording is illegal. This certainly saved me a lot of money, time and frustration.
I wonder how often insurance companies get away with wrongfully denying claims. Probably far to often as what recourse do we have?
