Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Health Insurance, Zetia, Skepticism

Tuesday This and That:

-found at firedoglake, this cautionary tale on dealing with insurance companies. Briefly, claim is sent in and is rejected not once but twice. Claimee informs insurance company that he is a doctor and that the reasons given for the rejection are completely off the chart. Insurance company relents and pays claim. Guess we've all been in those shoes before and the blogger wraps it up nicely by calling the policy of continual rejection of claims as "profit by attrition". That would happen, and no doubt does happen, because many claimants just give up and toss the claim and pay the bill themselves. Fortunately at our house Diane spent years learning and dealing with insurance claims while working at National Gypsum and consequently knows exactly how to shepard a claim through the intentionally diffult corridors of the insurance industry. For those of you without an at home insurance whiz, suggest you bone up on your policy, keep filing a claim and never take no for an answer and find an advocate if necessary. Need I suggest that we might seriously consider and make law universal health care?

-from the NYTimes, bad news for the makers of Zetia, that cholesterol reducing drug that has generated billions of dollars of profits in recent years. No medical benefit. Oh oh...

-the cries of racism leveled at Hillary and Bill these last several days have pretty much been quieted and rejected. From a lot of stuff I heard and read, this was a brush fire created by news people (some of them). Idiots (some of them...). One lesson learned, again: be skeptical and go to the source if you can - taken nothing for granted and think before opening your mouth.

Sunny out there. Heading to town; Diane's going to Odon to take care of the boys (Ian and Lucas) with Eric and Colleen finding themselves tied up this afternoon. Tax work and league updates continue.

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