Mild Rants

  Does anybody know what  "bcbs status" "not paid" means?  We logged into the Blue Cross Blue Shield Texas Claims center to see if we had been paid for an international claim.  Under the Claim Detail Section along with our Group Number and ID number, we got what appears to be some bad news rejecting the claim. However when we reviewed the FAQ(Frequently Asked Questions) "not paid" means something more like "in progress" or processing.  Has anybody else had a similar experience they could share?  We spent almost $2500 out of pocket in Thailand for stress test, chest xrays, eye, ear exams, prostate antigen screening test, bloodwork and a value added consultation with a cardiologist. We heard that BCBS is great about honoring medical care claims in foreign countries!!  Fingers Crossed  BTW $2500 out of pocket in Bangkok must less expensive than the train wreck called health care in United States of America.

 It is well known that there are weaker and stronger creatures in the Animal Kingdom. The weaker ones frequently die at a younger age than the stronger organisms. Us humans are no different where wealth is often a measure of  strength which, in turn, gives people with more money access to more and better healthcare.  So notions like health sovereignty and health equity are unachievable, Quixotic notions unless we choose to uninvent MONEY. In fact, there is so such thing as equitable access to health care. So Shubha Nageshand and Jonatan Konfino, while well intentioned, have their heads buried in the sand. 

 So this Penn State Wharton College of Business dude favors mild rants posted via resources paid for by the University of Pennsylvania and I am disappointed I could find nothing on the well known gamblers paradox where the expected value is infinite, but no experienced gambler, without a PHD in mathematics, would wager on!!!! Leave that aside and observe J. Michael Steele is engaging in slightly risky behavior by posting anything faintly religious or Pro Biden on the Nittany Lion servers. The statistics whiz defines a rant as any language that conveys violent/extravagant/caustic views or opinions. His loyal viewers would appreciate more effort expended on the topic of actuarial science and the model they use to predict the exact day someone will die based on smoking, genetics and tendencies towards unconventional sex.  The flood insurance piece promulgated by Doctor Steele does informatively expose how bad Joe Average consumer is getting ripped by insurance behemoths....

 Marianne Bonner wrote an article titled 10 signs that an Insurance agent is being dishonest with you. I think Mrs Bonner wasted way too much time composing her writing! Why?  The only sign required to establish dishonesty here is the individual chose to be an insurance agent. Car Salesmen fall into the same category and in many cases Real Estate agents. A common practice among insurance brokers is to add unnecessary coverages not requested by client. This tactic is more common when they are dealing with the elderly, much like the massive class action suit that was filed against Vivint home security corporation for ripping off old people in Artesia, Carlsbad, Roswell, and Hobbs New Mexico.  Patrick Wraight writes illuminatingly about the perils of trusting health insurance policies. We only really know what the carrier will pay after we are stricken with the appendicitis or the excruciatingly painful kidney or gall bladder stones.    

 Just reviewed a Liberty Mutual Homeowners Insurance personalized quote. The quote for the new annual premium  increased by almost $100, even though we have not filed a single claim in the 10 year life of our detached home! While I was on the phone twiddling my thumbs with GEICO customer service rep for around 30 minutes, I noticed the Total Standard Policy with HomeProtector plus TM(Trademark) on premium statement.(See above screen shot of Liberty Mutual Statement). When I asked the agent what this trademarked feature was, she had no idea what Home Protector PLUS was or how it added any protection or value to Hazard Insurance policy. Does anybody know anything about this?

 My relatives at family reunions all believe that insurance agents do what they do because they have proven they are not any good at other professions. I believe that claim is probably true about Allen Sturtevant who is an Allstate insurance agency owner out of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Allen sent us an inflated Homeowners Quote of around $1500 on a home that we insured for less than $1000 last year. Mr Sturtevant is  proud of his computer program that reads through public information files from appraisal districts all over the Land of Enchantment and sends out tens of thousands of mail box cluttering unwanted snail mail solicitations.  Texas watchdog Dave Lieber writes about the illegality of appraisal districts hiding market values of homes in ones proximity to mask the true taxable value of ones domicile. This makes it easier for unscrupulous insurance salesmen to charge unfair annual premiums since property owners are left in the dark about the true value of their...

 Back drop for this article is Dumaguete, Negros where a gentlemen gently peddles his end of life philosophy vlogging with his wife Jen in Philippines.  His YouTube Pen Name is " Every Man Has a Story " where he never discloses his real name probably because it could adversely affect his ad revenue which he appears to heavily rely upon. Everybody makes enemies who can potentially harm your ability to produce income so I do not blame the man who had an out of body experience after a childhood tonsillectomy operation after he lied to the attending nurse in order to ingest more pain killing medicine. He said he rose to the ceiling and could see fine details in the paint and could also turn back and view his body in the hospital bed. He does not appear to respect organized religion or believe in God.    Every Man Has a Story retired away form the major medical centers enjoyed by residents of Cebu and Manilla and is concerned about end of life health care which he will li...

 Research estimates as much as 58% of students have cheated while in medical school. Also any estimate of cheating is likely underestimated for simple reason cheaters are also liars when it comes polls or surveys. Read the findings of Kenneth D. Royal for more depth and breadth on this disturbing truth.  So the next time you shake your doctor's hand, that same hand was once covered with crib notes for a midterm human physiology exam. The snail mail advertisement you see was sent by Naishadh A. Mankad, MD who used to practice medicine in Hobbs, NM USA. Doctor Mankad promises to deliver high-quality medical attention and a lotta love and compassion at Lovelace Health Care Center in Roswell, New Mexico.  Lovelace Regional tried to rip us off bad a few months ago when my daughter went in for some GP referral  Echography on her kidneys. The referring doctor told us Lovelace would not ask for any out of pocket money AND that our BCBS would be billed for the diagn...

 It is common knowledge around the World that health care in the United States is grossly unfair and predatory. Many Americans are now FORCED to work well beyond their planned retirement to make ends meet regarding exorbitant bills from low quality surgeons and doctors. We received this bill from High Plains Radiological Association(HPRA) in Amarillo,Texas. It was impossible to figure out where they came up with the $45 balance due if you examine the payments/adjustments amount in the itemization.Moreover a patient has no way of knowing what any medical procedure costs these days forcing us to all just trust the greedy physicians and insurance companies.  It gets worse. The Echography and X-rays were done at a Lovelace Regional in New Mexico and we get a friggin bill from Texas location 60 days later!!! You would think a town the size of Santa Fe would have the resources to not have send it to Amarillo to be interpreted!!!!!! kristi howe,tina pfeifer,Aaron Floyd,Sierra Da...

A woman from Tularosa New Mexico refused medical care from EMT professionals after T-boning and killing a Roswell woman at the intersection of  Sunset and Relief Route. I am guessing the lady had heard about the extremely high and unfair bills you get from both Hospital's in Alien City. Fred Nathan wrote specifically about the despicable ordeal experienced by Gene Cavallo regarding unexpected and unreadable medical bills from Hospitals.  The deceased  had properly stopped at four way stop sign and  then was struck on the passenger side by the east bound  2017 Toyota Tundra. The reason driver ignored the stop sign is still being investigated.  Albuquerque Family Practice Dr. Jim Tryon also denounces the wild variation in the exorbitant prices charged for medical care, while pointing out that hospitals will never tell patients in advance the price for treatments and surgeries. This is why many of us JUST DON'T PAY THE SCUMBAGS!!

I could not help but recall the commentary of Doris Koniezny and Scott Dybiec(all indicating that Dr Drew has sold out. Even adam carolla will acknowledge this!! ) regarding medical heroes and the pathetic advice given by MTV romance "doctor" Drew Pinsky claiming Corona virus being overblown.  We were real estate shopping in Roswell NM for possible retirement home. We have fought the traffic and polluted air of the big city for too long and have been checking out areas in west Texas and and southeast New Mexico to enjoy retired life. We will probably retire in Texas since the land of enchantment taxes your social security income, but could not help but notice the sign in the front yard of high end stucco home located on Sorrento Drive not far from modern looking Dental office.  The sign near the fire hydrant informed us that A Healthcare Hero Lives Here. So Wife naturally assumed it must be an ER doctor or nurse or an RN who comes into frequent contact with seriously ill COV...

Citizens of the great states of Mississippi and New Mexico always are 49th and 50th ranked in the USA for dubious honors. Both are relatively poor states with well below individual and family average and median incomes.  It is horribly depressing for the families in NM to live in T HE WORST PLACE TO BE A KID.    Rick Nathanson's credibility is on the line for that last claim. Under education and substandard health care are also major issues Take a look at the return envelope sent out via snail mail by BlueCross BlueShield(BCBS-more like BSBS for BullShitBullShit). BCBS wanted its valued customers to disclose if they had insurance from other carriers by filling out a confusing form and returning it the NO PREPAID POSTAGE return envelope you see above! It is actually a well thought out strategy by BCBS. How many customers will not hassle with returning this because they have to come up with 57 cents stamp to pay for the conveyance of this envelope via the sluggishly ...

Long waits in Doctor's waiting rooms have become more of a symbol of life in America than the so called American Dream of owning a home and settling down. The cartoon you see below of the elderly gentlemen waiting to see a doctor where he states "there is nothing wrong with me now, but by the time I see the physician I will be sick!, is so common to the lifestyle of the average USA citizen these days. An Asian friend of my sisters told me her mother went to see a GP in Roswell New Mexico after having left a doctor she really liked in Albuquerque or maybe Santa Fe named Maria Rodriguez . Before she could even schedule an appointment, she had to fill out a lengthy and tedious form BY HAND since the doctor was not technologically savvy enough to have an online form to so the patient could more conveniently type in the medical history etc. Mom patiently waited in line for over two hours only to be told she would have to reschedule!!! Being new to the United States and not ...

A Black medical student has obviously been lost in space for the last 3 or 4 years. Russell Ledet didn't seem to be aware that respect for Doctors has declined significantly during this period. Ledet organized a photo op of around 12 black medical students attired in the once respected iconic doctor image of white coats while assembling at the former slave housing of  a Cajun plantation.  Ledet then arrogantly declared that his group of in medical school debt Negros "are our ancestors' wildest dreams". Would his admiring slave ancestors have known how many people cheat their way through Med School or do not even know what the units of a blood pressure reading are? The majority of physicians these days are prostitutes to blood tests and insurance companies. They do NOT do any real "doctoring". They are mere legal drug pushers with no more intelligence than a custodian or skilled laborer. Ledet's own commentary in NBC interview was not articulate or ...

So, I recently self-diagnosed myself as somebody who has to watch her blood sugar. My A1C was 5.9%(percentage of red blood cells hemoglobin coated with sugar/glucose) which was not down quite enough after the usual gestational diabetes during our fourth pregnancy(Only three children due to skateboard induced miscarriage-hell getting blood stains off sidewalk). Fasting glucose averages around 109 milligrams per deciliter, but before meal readings average close to 96. I am sure dietician Ben Tzeel would concur that I am not diabetic. This means my pancreas is still making its own insulin and don't have to take Metformin(no thanks to nausea and upset stomachs!!) Again no doctor required who would charge $250 even after insurance for bloodwork I can do myself. I CAN conclusively answer question about button batteries required for ACU CHEK Guide Glucometer. The literature with the device states that ONLY the button cell CR2032 can be used. THIS IS FALSE! Hubby, probably because he w...

I could sense the burnout my doctor was experiencing as he went over the results of my blood work during our last visit. He honestly admits to his patients that insurance companies pretty much dictate the words that come out of his mouth regarding potential treatments and medications. He can not help his patients the way he wants to. Blue Cross Blue Shield only pays for Triglyceride test every other 3 month visit for example. So a previous visit to my overworked and slightly depressed physician revealed a 175 Triglyceride level which is a little high, but the new blood panel did not even include a new Triglyceride level reading. This means after waiting 3 months to see if my dietary changes had helped, I have wait another 3 months!!!! The doctor did not inform me that the Tri reading was not on the printout. I only discovered this after I went home and noticed it was missing. I called doctor's office and, of course, could not speak with him when his assistant told me of the n...

So most of you have received many pieces of snail mail where the solicitor or advertiser of a service DEMANDS IMMEDIATE ATTENTION with implied threats or fines if recipient does not respond immediately. We got one of those today from Brian Werger, an agent of Trustage Insurance company, and his partner in crime Marsha Swanson who we were compelled to rush our correspondence back to. Brian's ruse was $5000 worth of free life insurance if you just went to the trouble to fill out the clumsy paperwork and return it postage free. This is around the 10th such unwanted advertisement we have received from  Brian and Marsha. We emailed him at Brian.Werger@cunamutual.com alerting him to the fact we DID NOT WANT TO SEE OUR MAIL BOX CLUTTERED WITH HIS STUFF. We did this 3 months ago and he persists in sending us CUNA Mutual Group's consumer brand promotional materials anyway!! I guess Miss Swanson, who may also be a Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage real estate agent work...

The newspaper scan you see is part of an announcement/advertisement in the local newspaper indicating the arrival of a much needed neurologist in Roswell,NM. Strokes and other neurological disorders such as Alzheimer's and Bell's Palsy are quite common in this small town in southeastern, New Mexico. Also liver disease/hepatitis, fatty liver, diabetes is prevalent due to high incidence of alcoholism. I am sure most of the community is excited about a new doctor coming to town, but we just wish it would be sooner! Dr. Mahsa Matloobi will be starting her practice of medicine sometime in October, but the advertisement you see was from an RDR published in early August. Physician shortages are so common in the Alien City that many have given up on establishing a long term relationship with a medical professional and just go to either Lubbock,TX or Albuquerque or maybe even El Paso,TX. Many young doctors come to Roswell because the Dairy Capital of the United States is designated as...

All conscientious citizens are aware of the crucial role farmers play in their well being. A scarcity  of farmers means food shortages and higher prices to get sustenance imported from other regions or countries.  I don't know of a farmer that does not rely heavily on his pick up truck which leads to the corpus of this rant. It involves a hard working United States farmer who has never had any traffic tickets and has faithfully paid his insurance premiums on time every month of every year for the last 11 years! What follows is the farmer's account of the struggles he met trying to insure a used truck he paid cash for: This day started off great. Found me a truck,and paid cash for it. Went to the title department. Then on to get my tags. every thing went smooth. I said to myself, all that's needed now is to get it insured at State Farm. Might mention here I have been a customer for over 30 years. Have a 92 Ford Crown Victoria Full coverage for 6 months $158.00 a...