Good Medical Read

Let's see what comes out of Cuba for this. WRT diabetis they already threw the established literature out of the window. Also on some kinds of cancer. So, when faced with something like this I'd rather go to Havanna.
 
That was interesting, especially his ideas about microbes. I've never had a cold in my life, haven't had the flu in almost 20 years, never had a flu shot or a pneumonia shot. I don't put any faith in doctors or phamacutical companies either.

I'm pretty healthy, and would rather go while i am healthy than decrepit and helpless where I can't fend for myself and am at someones mercy in a nursing home. I know what can happen.

(Here come an old age related rant.)

Getting old suxors. I used to be a Superman. Now I'm just Harvey Birdman, Attorney at Law.

And first on tomorrows docket: Insurance scam

I have an insurance matter to handle Monday with Medicaid. My old insurance plan was going to be cancelled so a broker signed me up for a new plan that was peechy keen. The plan I got stuck with is not what I signed up for, not worth the paper it's laid out on if I should need it, or how she represented it to be. At all. That bothers me.

I had already talked to a lady I know who has a radio program that deals with insurance scams, I was the third person to call her that day who had been scammed. I'm supposed to meet her privately before years end and she'll get my insurance straightened out. She told me to do some homework before I saw her so she may have plans of her own. She may want to make an example of it on her program, or not.

I could probably live with having been scammed, I am getting a good insurance plan eventually. It's not that she lied to my face, took me for a fool or tried to talk her way out of any responsibility when I called her office to tell her I discovered it. Trying to sell me a different plan with a monthy premium of .70 as a remedy established exactly how stupid she continued to think I was.

I'm healthy now, but someday I am going to need good insurance coverage, made her perfectly aware of it before signing and she still sold me what is essentially worthless. I can't live with that and be at peace with myself.

Tomorrow I present my case complete with all the teary details to Medicaid, and they take this type of thing very seriously. It's going to be a very bad day for the person who scammed me. The first of many to come.

Forgive me for rambling, I'm a feeble old man.
 
I really had to chuckle about the Assistant Professor insult. I work as an Assistant Foreman and believe me I can do everything the Foreman can. When he goes on vacation I am acting.
So to denigrate an Assistant Professor is the same. I am sure he is capable of being Professor but for reasons beyond his control he is stuck at the Assistant Professor position.
I don't see how that should affect a grant for good science. I do worry about big pharma's influence on the review process.
15 drugs approved for trials and zero positive results. Even a layman can understand the frustration of this guy.
 
A complementary good to watch medical documentary, with the following introductory comment from a friend: "How crooked medical devices companies, careless doctors, and trusting patients lead to medical disaster. Good rule of thumb: Trust your doctor as far as you can throw him": see here (movie trailer) and here (thoughts on the movie).
To which I'd add: not only your doctor.

EDIT: following the rightly comment below.
 
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You mean, like, the full 2m?

I usually call them 'human mechanics' as in car mechanics. The title of Dr. also needs to be proven by competence, or I laugh in their faces. And w.r.t. companies, wasn't there the case of a finance investor in jail and they couldn't find a jury? They were all stating, as soon as his name came up, "Guilty. No matter the charge."?
 
I talked to the lady I mentioned having a radio program today and am to meet her before long at the station after she does her show and she will fix me up. Though I've never met her personally I've spoken with her before and she's a friend of my sister so she's going to take care of me.

The homework she gave me consisted of calling local medical facilities to see if they accepted my plan and all the details. It's not quite as bad as I thought, aside from it not being the plan I signed up for. I'll have a new plan starting Jan 1st anyway.

Apparently, calling the insurance company to report the fraudulent signing me up for a program I didn't agree to wasn't the thing to do. They just wanted to get me to a sales agent to sell me the program I had before this mess. When I finally did get to their fraud dept. they took my report, gave me the case # and said I'd hear from them in a couple days.

The only thing I got was another bill for the premium of a plan I didn't sign up for, and good luck getting that. I'm not admitting to anything. I live for the day I can debate their top lawyer in court over a bill for a $13 insurance premium for a policy I didn't agree to sign up for. I have to call them today anyway.

So the girl who scammed me is still out there scamming someone else, probably forgotten all about me by now and timing is everything.

Edit: I told the Insurance company I wasn't going to pay their $13 bill because that would be tantamount to agreement of the contract and wanted to debate their top lawyer in court over it. They said that was fine, that they were recording the conversation and I let them know I was, too.

That got it escalated to someone who took a genuine interest in taking my complaint and filing a grievance on my behalf against the broker who sold me the plan, and in their own interest since it made them look bad. And they fear to debate me in court. :p

Actually, that was my day in court. I knew it and made the most of it. They kicked it up from Tier1 to Tier 3 and he had an Adviser he occasionally put me on hold to consult. They were very earnest in their concern and capitulating so I did get something accomplished.
 
Birdy said:
Like... please go first?
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Yes.
And not talking stupid would be a good start.

Followed by knowing the limits of their tools. Like, what Shanon has to say about the resolution of the ultrasonic scanners or what these circles in CAT scans mean (had a lovely debate with one about this, when I noted that maybe they should call the service tech in). And no, the only time a brain shows perfect circles of density variation, that usually has to do with supersonic metal passing trough and it is called a shock wave.

After displaying that level of competence, I refuse to take such a person serious. Why would I call someone "Dr." if I would not trust them with a broom on the side walk?

Yes, I had more contact with those persons than I want. I don't care about their feelings when my families well being is on the line.
 
Crivens said:
Why would I call someone "Dr." if I would not trust them with a broom on the side walk?
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I've worked in-house at a hospital as an EMT in addition to the time I worked in the Mental Health field and seen it from both sides.

I'm even less impressed with their "god-like powers".

They are no less faliable or necessarily more competent at their craft than any human. It certainly does not automatically bestow high moral character upon them like a crown.
 
Trihexagonal said:
I'm even less impressed with their "god-like powers".
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How much of this power comes from modern medical imaging though.
When the conversation concerns reining in healthcare costs I never hear "GE is making too much money"
Cryo-cooled magnets are amazing, but at what cost.
https://www.wired.co.uk/article/mri-magnet-cooling

This part of the medical cost equation seems to be commonly overlooked.
Now If I were a surgeon, I would defiantly want the best "blueprint" available. But do realize how much this adds to medical costs.
 
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I think this is what ticks folks off. The amount of knowledge to understand how an MRI works is huge. I'd say some years worth of education. Knowing why it works is something even bigger. One person alone will never be able to pile up enough knowledge to build one from scratch.

People don't like not understanding their environment (hence all the religions). They even less like being called out about it after they successfully convinced themselves that they have covered all bases. And they certainly don't like the one doing the calling out (see also secret cangoroo court against whistle blowers).
 
Crivens said:
And they certainly don't like the one doing the calling out (see also secret cangoroo court against whistle blowers).
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Have I ever shown fear or hesitation to make it known exactly how I felt no matter where my bombs fell? I've seen things that just aren't fit to talk about, would do nothing to further the conversation and only make matters worse.

I have called the State Physicians Board of Registry on an ER physician because of the treatment I received at the local hospital. They sent a representative to my home to take my statement before going to the hospital to take up the matter. And my case was airtight. I was the Advocate for the rights of my clients and knew mine inside out.

Let's just say it's a good thing he had a previous career to fall back on because he doesn't work there anymore.

And there's still the matter of a premium I didn't authorize being deducted from my Social Security check I have yet to address and that bomb has somebody's name on it.
 
I did not mean any offense, no worries. I think we all have, by now, seen stuff that is a no-talk issue.

My axe to grind is with anyone being backstabbing you when you dare question their god powers by pointing out misconceptions.

One child physican, on the other hand, I value very highly because he knew the magic words "I don't know, but I know where to find out. Come back next week.".
 
I wasn't offended in the least. They just don't hold any status with me and when it comes to standing up for myself they need not think themselves above me.

I wasn't kidding. I told the Ins company I would love to present my case in court before a judge and for them to send their top lawyer to debate me because I was up to it. They recorded the whole conversation to forward to upper management for review and I recorded it for that lady to hear.
 
I met with the lady yesterday as scheduled and she got me signed up for another insurance plan in effect Jan 1st. My Ins problems are over and I accomplished what I set out to do with the intended results.

The girl who tried to scam me is being investigated for Fraud by Misrepresentation by the Insurance company and they are no longer listed among the multiple Ins companies they represent. They've called me twice since I initially talked to them so I know they are actually investigating her and will be watching to see if it addresses unauthorized deductions from my SS check. Because if they don't I will be on it to make a Federal Case of it.

You can make a difference if you stand up for your rights and don't accept being taken advantage of as "part of getting old".

If I had paid that first premium I would have accepted the contract and not have a case. Had I not been every bit as relentless in resolve as the Ins company rep was in trying to get me to the Sales Dept to sign up for a new plan it would have been swept under the rug and problem solved for them and the scammer.

I'd have allowed myself to become another victim of some wayward whippersnapper who makes a living taking advantage of old people perceived as an easy mark too age addled to know the difference and feeble to do anything about it if they did. Neither did she recognize a rattled retiree remotely her rival in retort or resourcefulness.

My apologies to Phishfry for hijacking his thread but it's another issue faced by a growing population of people old as Sputnik. One that need not be a source of shame and another fallen leaf of glory as a former champion in the Autumn of Life.
 
You couldn't offend me if you tried!

I think you broght up a good medical topic. Just this week I was called to HR to fill out my insurance papers.
Sitting in line all I could think about is all the wasted man-hours of workers waiting in line to fill out the same paperwork year after year after year.
What kind of scam is an "Open Enrollment Period". Can you imagine if you had to wait until Janurary 1st to switch car insurance.
Somehow they work it out so you can buy car insurance whenever you want. Not by some arbitrary date.
Buy a new car, get insurance. Why can't health care plans work as efficiently.
I know about plan pooling and the such, but why can't health insurance be as easy as car insurance.

They are pushing us to use an online portal but I really don't want my medical records online at all. Period.
Just look at Experion, Mariott, Home Depot.... The hacked company list is disgusting.
Now you want me to trust some medical outfit's web page with my most personal information.

We also have a Wellness effort where they discount your health insurance.
All you have to do is turn in records of physicals and dental and you get a break.
Like I want my company knowing when I go to the doctors. It is absurd.
 
I forgot in my old age to mention the $13 premium of the plan in question would have gone up to $43 a month next year. Along with higher a co-pay to see a Specialist, ER visit, etc. The plan she signed me up for has no monthly premium and good medical coverage. Now if I can survive till it takes effect Jan 1st. :p

I heard the last 5 minutes of the radio program that lady has on insurance Fraud before we met. Long enough to hear her stress the importance of reporting fraud to Medicare as it is widespread. She provided the insurance expertise I lacked. I can handle the rest on my own.

I talked to a girl today who lives in an apartment building and told me an insurance agent was wandering the halls looking for prospects. The girl who sold me the policy I had previously was here to speak to someone who had moved and spotted me as a likely candidate for a sales pitch, but she did me right. She used to work in that office but had moved on and the scammer took my call when I initially contacted the office. A few days later I got a card in the mail from my old agent with her new number. I'm glad she's not involved and if I had contacted her this might not have happened. Telling her what transpired is something I would for shock value alone, if not to save her from the same fate.

The girl who scammed me drove at least 100 miles to my apartment to sign me up so there must be money in it. She lied to my face, tired to talk her way out of it when I discovered it and offered to sell me another plan to resolve the issue of her scamming me once by doing it twice. That's how slick she though herself and how sorely she underestimated me as a person twice her age in life experience. She was a failure at judging a book by its cover, mediocre at best in her skills at scam, washed up as insurance broker and better suited at stamping out license plates in stir.

They were always pushing to have someone visit my home to do a wellness check and dangled a dandy $10 Walmart card as a cookie if I complied. And don't forget your flu shot. It's government authorized and they're impeccable.

I was an EMT and there is nothing they can tell me I don't already know about my health or can't do myself. I've never had a cold in my life, a flu shot, pneumonia shot or had the flu in 20 years. I haven't had a Primary Care Physician for two years, but need to look for one someday. I fired mine due to lack of continuity of care and a poor memory of prior events that effected his actions. Yes, they're only human and he wasn't the first.

I've had too many bad experiences with doctors to trust in their judgement. I witnessed a surgeon do something in front of a group of observers that surprised even me in how crass and disrespectful it was to the person on the table. I ate lunch afterward so am not squeamish but did not expect that as hospital SOP.

I have more faith in the Terra de Fatima soil relic and 1803 medal I wear to protect me. What a conundrum...
 
Crivens said:
There are companies giving you a break if you wear one of their fitness trackers 24/7.
Hey! 1984 was meant as a warning, not a manual!
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They will become obsolete when the government makes implanted chips mandatory. Why, it could even be done in a flu shot without your knowledge for efficiency and an enhanced shopping experience as the sole means of purchase making money obsolete.

I'm surprised the idea has never been put forth.. Wait..
 
Trihexagonal said:
the importance of reporting fraud to Medicare as it is widespread.
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My father has been reporting on his last doctor. They charged his Medicare for "Tobacco and Alcohol counseling" and that outraged my pop, who has never drank or smoked in his life.
He is worried his supplemental Medicare insurance will get the bogus information and will charge him more.
The problem is they keep charging his medicare monthly after he reported them and he moved on to another practice.
Medicare really don't care from the way it sounds..

There really seems to be too much Medicare coverage devoted to "preventive care" than is needed.
I understand the concept, but when you give the doctors an extra billing code, they will use it.
My doctor keeps hounding me for the PSA.

I keep telling my people if I wanted "Wellness" I would have to work somewhere else. Standing over lead fumes coming from machining bronze and other toxic goodies all night can't make you very well.
Wellness to me is a state of mind. I do creak a little as I age.

I really think the large hospital chains, which own all these HMO/HSA plans are too big. They own the hospital, the doctor groups and insurance and now old-folks homes and in-home care. Every step in the process they get paid. From life to death.

Once again the anti-monopoly people asleep at the wheel. Community hospitals. What a quaint idea that once existed.
Now its a handful of mega-health firms dominating all large US city markets.
Notice how they don't overlap in area. Swallowing nearby suburban hospitals to expand like a disease.

Edit- I forgot Urgent Care too:
https://blog.practicevelocity.com/win-win-healthcare-hospital-systems-acquire-urgent-care-centers
Private equity entered the game
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^^^This is the problem^^^
 
Trihexagonal - I can only ask you to give a copy of all this to the feds. These con artists need to do some hard time, in my opinion.
 
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