Three weeks since double bypass surgery.

[dentheman]

Originally Posted by alantf

As a non American - who the f*** is marshall Applewhite? :??:

Cult leader who's followers (and he) committed suicide in the belief that they would go up to a waiting UFO that was hidden in a comet's tail.

[jonathan180iq]

Originally Posted by dentheman

Cult leader who's followers (and he) committed suicide in the belief that they would go up to a waiting UFO that was hidden in a comet's tail.

That's who we'll pretend it is then, as that just adds to the humor



It's just a stock photo of an old man with a cane giving a thumbs up.

[dentheman]

Medical bills coming in---I've been paying around $130 to $250 to my doctors, labs, and anesthesiologist as my part after medical insurance makes its payments; pretty much what I expected and it doesn't bother me...BUT...I just received my HOSPITAL BILL in the mail today, I almost had a heart attack! Total charges: $217,133.04! Amount I must pay: $17.05! I have Tri-Care medical insurance as part of my military retirement and have always heard that it is not very good. But I sure am happy with it right now!

[jonathan180iq]

....And this is what is wrong with our country's health care system....

I'm sorry, but the services rendered do not account for $217,000... Life is valuable and precious and without a monetary equivalent, certainly. But, seriously?!? $217,000?

[dentheman]

Originally Posted by jonathan180iq

....And this is what is wrong with our country's health care system....

I'm sorry, but the services rendered do not account for $217,000... Life is valuable and precious and without a monetary equivalent, certainly. But, seriously?!? $217,000?

I must agree with you. That amount is what the hospital charges an uninsured person as well as my insurance company, but the insurance company has an agreement with the hospital to pay a fraction of that amount (in this case only $27,327.17), plus my payment of $17.05 to pay the bill in full. I never did think it was right for an uninsured person to be charged the full rate while someone with insurance gets a break, shouldn't we all be charged the same rate?

[burkbuilds]

Yes we should all pay the same rates or reasonably close. The existing system is just proof that medical services/Insurance are all just a government mandated way to rip everyone off. Just my opinion.

[jonathan180iq]

And it's not like it's just a little break either. Going from $217,000 down to $27,000 is an 87% reduction in price between insured and uninsured.

It's like they just pulled that number our of a hat, similar to what your average retailer will do just before they put lots of items on "sale" or "clearance".

They then probably will take those same uninsured people to court or collections or whatever for non-payment of such a ludicrous amount and we, socially, give those same people a bad stigma or stereotype for "making us pay for their medical bills...'Murrica!"

Whatever... bigger topic. I'm glad you're good and that you don't have to pay a random amount of money to get out of it.

[5th_bike]

Denteman, glad you're better now. I just read this post tonight for the first time. No fun getting old indeed.

Originally Posted by alantf

Just had another health scare....On Wednesday morning, when I got up, I found that I'd got a fine curtain of black dots over my right eye, with floaters and flashes of light. I thought it'd go away, but it didn't. ....

... There's nothing that can be done, except rest the eye and let nature try to heal it. As a side note, he checked the other eye, and said that he could see the start of a cataract, so I suppose I'll be needing treatment for that in another few years.

Alantf FWIW after the eye doctor told me I had to come back in 6 months for another checkup I found that there are 4 veggies that are especially good for your eyes: (in no particular order) 1) carrots 2) celery 3) parsley 4) endive/radicchio. Raw/cooked/fried no matter how you like them done. So I ate some more of those for a couple of weeks, and at the next checkup she said everything OK and come back in a year.

Hm, thinking back, had hardly any of those for weeks now, maybe some carrots only... to the groceries!

[alantf]

Apart from the endives,I do eat them. Carrots with roast beef. Shredded celery when I cook Chinese stir fried veg. Today I'm making parsley sauce, to go with my grilled haddock.