I make no claims to understand medical billing or health insurance. I just know I pay for insurance, then I pay my part at the doctor’s office, then the doctor and my insurance company hash it out from there and I get billed for anything that’s not covered. It’s been a pretty good system for me because over the last 3 1/2 years I’ve had my current health insurance I think I’ve had to pay $12 aside from my co-pays. And that’s with the cheapest health insurance policy I can buy because my and my kids’ doctors participate in the HMO and my family is in extremely good health (knock on wood). If I needed more serious medical care on a more consistent basis I’d pay for health insurance that provided a little more flexibility and independence.
Anyway, last spring I had a colonoscopy. After the procedure there was a flurry of notices from my insurance company stating everything that was submitted by the doctors involved, everything that was paid and what wasn’t covered that I’d have to pay (nothing). I thought it was all over.
Yesterday I got another notice. The doctor submitted a charge for a little over $1200 for something regarding his sticking up a lighted camera tube up my ass. It was denied, and the explanation from the insurance company was that he didn’t follow some insurance company procedure BEFORE he performed the colonoscopy, therefore he was unable to claim reimbursement for it. I wasn’t being held responsible for it either, but the end result is that the doctor isn’t getting paid because he didn’t file paperwork in the proper order. And if I remember correctly, that $1200 is a pretty sizable chunk of the bill for my doctor’s part, if not the entire chunk (there were also hospital, anesthesiologist and whomever else parts).
The doctor was a specialist who I never needed before and don’t need now, but he did a decent job and I guess I’d let him stick a tube up my ass again. But would be want to? I mean, it seems that he basically gave me a colonscopy for free. I wouldn’t do it for free, so why should he? Would he deny me again because of my insurance company being too anal (no pun intended)? Will he even continue to accept my insurance? In the end, won’t it be me getting it up the ass (no pun intended) because of issues that don’t really even involve me?
Oh, well. I guess if it comes down to it I’ll find someone else to look at the inside of my colon, but I have a feeling that stuff like this is what’s going to ruin health care for ordinary generally healthy people, and even more so if/when we get universal health care imposed by the government.
This is a thank you note I received in the mail today, after a meal a couple weeks ago where the server actually came back to shake my hand after we settled the tab:
It says:
Dear [Cheese],
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for dining with us at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse. We look forward to helping you celebrate any upcoming special occasions!
Thanks again!
[Server]
Which translates to:
My Nigga!
You are a tippin’ muthafucka. I am trippin that I lucked out and got you at one of my tables. Fo’ real. Dude, that tip was off the hiz-ook! Look, you eva in the hood and need a place to eat come check me out, ya hear? I’ll be happy to serve a tippin’ white boy like you any time. No doubt.
Thanks homie!
Your boy
Scenes like this is why I like the white trashier parts of the Baltimore metro area, where hate is bi-partisan:
The big sign on the left says:
“ON JAN 20, 09 DON’T GIVE BUSH AIR FORCE #1 TO FLY HOME ON. PUT HIM ON A ARMY MULE AND LET HIM RIDE IT TO TEXAS. CHENEY TOO, WHEREVER!!”
The small, washed out sign on the right says something like:
BUSH THE ASS IN TEXAS “D.C. TOO”
There is also a bumper sticker on the driver’s side rear window that says, “Bring Back Governor EHRLICH,” (the last governor of MD, who is a republican) and right under that is a hand-made sign you can’t see that says, “WATERBOARD O’MALLEY” (the current governor of MD, who is a democrat).
To top it all off, there’s a Steelers bumper sticker on the bumper. True indication of the truck owner’s dumbassity.
I expect for him to roll out his Palin in ‘12 signs up shortly after inauguration day.
Here’s a follow-up to my adventures in obtaining HDTV service.
I got Verizon FiOS hooked up the other day to join my FiOS broadband and home phone service. It’s glorious. The HD DVR is even multi-room, meaning I can record a show and watch it on any other TV in the house with a receiver.
Anyway, my standard procedure is to not cancel my old service until I’m sure the new service is ok. Since it’s ok I called to cancel DirecTV yesterday.
When I called, they immediately went into the hard sell to keep me, asking me why I was leaving and offering to cut me a deal to stick with them. First they offered to sell me the HD DVR for $99 instead of $199. When I told them Verizon gave me one for free DirecTV offered theirs to me for free. Then they offered me a year of HD service free. Additionally, I was told that I would not have to switch to a new programming package even though the one I had was obsolete, which was something I wasn’t allowed to do previously.
That just pissed me off. They wouldn’t do shit for me when I just wanted to upgrade, but once I made the decision to upgrade through another service they got awfully generous in order to keep me.
Needless to say, it didn’t work. I told the guy on the phone I was getting angry and that his pitch was too little too late and to please cancel my service, which he did.
Companies need to stop treating their good customers like crap and hook them up as much as they do new ones. While I’m sure DirecTV will have no problem finding a warm body to replace me, if they were smart they would have added that body to mine and not had any need to replace me. Idiots.
To think Barack Obama is a “post-racial” president is ridiculous. Based on the people standing in line waiting to vote in my precinct who were giddy about the prospect of voting for him, it was apparent they were voting for him only because of Obama’s race, either because he shared theirs or they were “progressive” enough to want to see a black man lead them. They were completely ignorant of his positions on any issues or anything he believes in. Hell, they were equally ignorant about John McCain and all other fringe candidates. They just know Obama’s black and that’s all that mattered.
And that’s fine, but to think we live in a land of an enlightened electorate because Team Elephant got kicked out is probably the least enlightened view possible.
Most of the people in my line were just like this dumbass:
Yet it’s the white rednecks who vote republican who are mocked and treated with derision. There are morons on both sides, and without the ones on Team Donkey yesterday Obama would not be president-elect this morning.
So smug assholes who think you’re brighter and better than everyone because you were on the winning team this time, just remember who you couldn’t have won without: the dumbfuck, half-illiterate, racist uninformed. You should be very proud.
P.S. I wrote in Ron Paul, who was the only voice of reason of any candidate in this election season. So this post isn’t just the ranting of a bitter loser. My guy never had a chance to begin with and I knew it, but because I am not a dumbfuck half-illiterate racist uninformed voter I am the only one who can see shit for what it is and can bitch about it because I voted. Holla!
