28 in 23 (?)!!!!
63 in '23!!!!!!!!!!
My Collection: https://www.thedarktower.org/palaver...ion-Merlin1958
The Houston Astros cheated Major League Baseball from 2017-18!!!! Is that how we teach our kids to play the game now?????
Get well !
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CLUB STEPHEN KING (french website about STEPHEN KING, since 1992) : on : Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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I echo all of these sentiments. I hope you get well soon John.
Get well soon John!
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'Salem's Lot Portfolio #606
Fairy Tale UK S/L
Not sure how many are aware but many of my friends have lost their homes and in fact.. lost their entire city. Fort Mac in Alberta is burning to the ground. Canada has never experience a mass evacuation like this in its history.... so far over a 100000 have been displaced and/or lost their homes. If you want to see pictures of this devastation just google it... as I am not posting any pics of it. I am off to gather items up to ship to the people in need. MY thoughts, prayers and best wishes to all those affected. I cannot imagine what you are going through... my fear is that many will perish as they cannot escape the fire fast enough as it is quote "an unstoppable force... that we cannot contain" AND only one highway out. ONE way and its gridlock and now people are running out of gas. Not going to ask anyone to help finacially but might I ask for some good thoughts and prayers for my fellow Canadians all? Thanks.. kris
HELP ME FIND
Insomnia #459
ANY S/L #459
I saw footage of that on the news last evening, Kris. Horrific and frightening. I don't think I have ever seen anything quite like that. Traffic backed up and not moving on the highway out of the area and the fire raging close behind.
It is bizarre that Hospitals are willing to write down "owed" amounts at such a large percentage. Why don't they just bill an actual number for the service(s) provided? I spoke with two separate hospitals today and was offered, what is apparently a standard, 25% reduced rate if I can pay in full.
Hearts are tough, she said, most times hearts don't break, and I'm sure that's right . . . but what about then? What about who we were then? What about hearts in Atlantis?
I didnt know about that canadian fire, but have seen since pictures and reports about it. Absolutely crazy!
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CLUB STEPHEN KING (french website about STEPHEN KING, since 1992) : on : Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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Wishing the people impacted by the fire in Canada the best.
Interesting post.....in January, when I had a kidney stone that blocked my left kidney, I had to have 2 surgeries....one to implant a stent to relieve the pressure on my left kidney and a second surgery a week later to "blast" the kidney stone so pieces would pass...I received bills from the hospital totaling almost $25,000 for the two surgeries....my insurance covered a portion but I noted that the hospital "wrote off"/"adjusted" my bill by thousands of dollars...I was NOT going to question this pactice, but I was a bit mystified...I still had out of pocket cost of $5000+ but that "adjustment" was a lifesaver.
Dragline : Nothin'. A handful of nothin'. You stupid mullet head. He beat you with nothin'. Just like today when he kept comin' back at me - with nothin'.
Luke : Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Frankly, when I read stuff like that I am extremely happy to be in France. My new income tax have increased significantly (+30% to pay next year), but at least I know where it seem to go.
A few years back, my wife had to have a major back surgery for scoliosis and spent about 3+ months in hospital and recovery. The entire cost was in tens of thousands, but I only had to pay for the phone she had in her room, every else was covered by the insurance.
There are so many stories out there about astronomical costs for health issues in the USA, it seem like a nightmare...
At my work we recieved a note : the government have recently limited the prices that is being reimbursed with the complementaire (the insurance) for when someone is hospitalised. However, the insurance offer to cover the extra bit that will not be reimbursed, for.... 2€ a month. There is absolutely no doubt about my answer!
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CLUB STEPHEN KING (french website about STEPHEN KING, since 1992) : on : Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
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I'm not one to like the medical bills, had a lot of them the past 2 years with the Betes thing, but....
I have to remind myself time to time that most hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, and doctors are private BUSINESESS. That is the way they earn income & make a living. The main purpose of a business is to provide services and good to people at whatever profit markgin the market will bear... every other industry from big banking to kid's lemonade stand on the corner operates by this philosophy.
I work in the chip industry where the chips we make can cost as low as $9.00 to around $40.00 per chip to produce including design, test, yield, and production costs. Of course the hefty cost is in the design phase, so the more chips sold of one design, the lower the cost. Those same chips are sold to suppliers at several hundred dollar, then marked up by third parties.... yet nobody screams about price gouging on the I-phones or Intel computers.
The $ value of someone's services that is holding my heart in their hands (ie my life) is a lot more than someone that makes a designs a computer chip for a phone... at least IMHO. So is the guy that invents a pill to control my diabetes so I don't have my limbs cut off or die from the disease. So while I don't like the prices in the medical field, I try to remind myself of these points.
The insurance business is a business too... though I tend to think about them in the same way I think about the tow truck drivers that patrol parking lots to hijack your car... I still understand they exist to make a profit.... not to provide free services to the masses.
I do have a problem with a government that demands a person to purchase a product or get fined. If I decide to roll the dice and not buy insurance... I should be allowed to take that chance. Likewise, if I get sick, I should be responsible for my own doctoring.
That said, I pretty much am... through my work I have insurance that has an in-network $5000.00 deductible, and a separate $15,000.00 out of network deductible (I stay in network). The company seeds the account with enough money to almost pay my premiums each year, for just me the premiums is about $750.00 a year...the company pays $500.00 of that.
The downfall is I'm on the hook 100% for everything up to $5000.00 (anything over 5 grand the insurance pays 100%) - since I've been with the company, I haven't met the deductible - last year I paid out $4957.00 out of pocket... the insurance company walk away paying zilch. BUT, if and when I land in the hospital like David and have a 25 grand bill... I'm just out 5 grand... and the insurance company's profit margin on me is greatly reduced.... that's a couple decades of premiums from me they will have to get before they balance their books.
On a person to person to company basis, It's a crap shoot for both parties.
and RF...
I'm thinking you might need a third button for posting replies - dedicated to Sir Boomme... that "Post Quick Reply" button doesn't really apply to some of my posting habits.
It has been a stressful half a year juggling my medical expenses. The good news is that I am covered at 100% for the rest of this year and that one hospital provided a discount to me of 25% and the other, after some back and forth, agreed on a 30% discount. Saved me over $2,000 between the two.
Did the surgery correct the problem, David? I'm asking because I had lithotripsy (sound wave procedure) this year to blast a kidney stone. The procedure apparently failed and I am looking at potentially needing another procedure which involves a stent and a laser.
Ben-
Yes, the surgery blast fixed the stone doing the blocking, but my scan that they did prior to surgery (to confirm the stone blockage) showed 2 other stones...a smaller one and one the size of the Rock of Gibralter! The Urologist wants me to come in to talk about the other 2 stones.....am undecided...problem is, my scan revealed (unknown to me prior to this time) that my right kidney is a "dwarf" and basically not functional....making any blockage in the left a serious matter. Doc said about 20% of people have a small essentially non-functioning kidney (of the pair) and never know any different unless they have a stone or want to donate a kidney (can't).
Dragline : Nothin'. A handful of nothin'. You stupid mullet head. He beat you with nothin'. Just like today when he kept comin' back at me - with nothin'.
Luke : Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
David, Glad to hear the surgery went well and sorry that you may have further difficulties. I appreciate the reply.
Hearts are tough, she said, most times hearts don't break, and I'm sure that's right . . . but what about then? What about who we were then? What about hearts in Atlantis?
I can sympathize with everyone putting out thousands of dollars to cover medical costs that insurance does not cover.
This year has been critical to me and my wife. We both hit our Maximum out of pocket expenses for the year. Our insurance year is Jun 1 through May 31. So we are trying to schedule anything needed between now and May 31st as it becomes free due to hitting out of pocket limits. Even prescriptions. I tried to renew my Lyrica (my share is $150, but they won't renew until June 17th!)
So medical expenses after reaching out of pocket is a good thing Everything appears free! Of course getting to this point means we spent a boatload already!
So how does one go about reaching out of pocket maximums!
For me For me I have quarterly Cystoscopies to combat Bladder Cancer. Last December a new growth was discovered and subsequent surgery planned. Even though it was outpatient, the "token" hospital bill was outrageous. $7900+ dollars for three hours at the hospital. Then add in Anasthesia, the Surgeon's bill, and Lab pathology fees on top of that. This was all followed up with 6 treatments of immunotherapy at approx. $750 a pop. Not that I am complaining as I am alive and well and now considered a Cancer Survivor for the second time!
For my wife she hit her out of pocket based on one event! She had what is commonly referred to as a mini-stroke. Pretty scary but with what appears to be a full recovery. Her hospital stay was $11K+ for one overnight stay. Top that with specialists fees for Doctors (specialists) that visited her in her room, the crazy ambulance charge, the ER Doctors charge, the follow on MRI, MRA, MRA with Contrast, the Sonogram, the EEG and the Sleep study! Wow! All this post-op expense to try and determine the cause of the mini-stroke and to hopefully circumvent a full blown stroke!
And all of this with me out of work since last June 12th! I am very lucky in that my wife works for a small Legal Firm and her boss, the Senior Partner, told her to add me to her medical insurance policy and the firm would cover the expense. They already pay hers at 100%. In that respect we are blessed.
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