Off To A Flying Start

[Mt_Rider]

Laws on these things....so complex and.... ever changing! 

 

I have no idea what happens when for my situation of SSDI...  [talk about DISabled!  It took me 6 tries to type the correct letters for that ..in the correct order, sheeesh]

Anyway, I don't know when/if I change over to plain, ole SS......and when/if I have to be an active part of that happening. 

 

MtRider ...do I really wanna know? 

Edited June 20, 2017 by Mt_Rider

[Jeepers]

It is confusing. All I know about that is you can't collect  both SSDI and SS at the same time. I found this link that might be helpful.

 

http://www.disability-benefits-help.org/blog/disability-benefits-switch-retirement-65

[Jeepers]

The more I think about that scribe stuff the more I don't like it. What about the Hipaa Law. We have to stand behind the red line at the pharmacy just so we don't invade another's privacy. As far as I know a scribe has nothing to do with the medical profession. My Dr. asked me some personal questions and if the answer would have been yes to any of them... I'm not sure how truthful I would have been with the scribe sitting there looking at me.

 

Be all up in my business when I'm talking about a pap and mammo. Ain't nobody got no time for that.   

 

That is just another bill the doctors have to shell out for and you know who that cost trickles down to!

 

And who's to say he/she is typing the correct thing. If the doc's need to 'CYA' let them digitally record the conversations. At least then there would be a chance of fewer mistakes. Then make an audio file and put it in the patient's folder. It's all computerized anyway. I just don't understand why they don't ask me how to do things first.

[Ambergris]

The scribes are fully covered by HIPAA.  Seriously.

[Jeepers]

That's good to know. I was very uncomfortable with a strange guy sitting in on my consultation, in that tiny room, hearing about my personal medical issues, looking at me.

 

As an aside, I can remember my family doctor back in the 60's. He sat in the chair talking to me, sitting with one leg under him, rocking, while smoking a cigarette. And that was normal back then. 

[Jeepers]

I got a call from my doctor's office to do a survey. I don't ever do a phone survey with a random caller but I knew who this was from. It was a robo type call. On a scale of 1-10 how would I rate them. I think there were about 10-12 quick questions. I gave them an honest 10 for all of them. At the end they asked me if there was any negative experiences. I told them I did not like a strange scribe sitting in on my visit. It was recorded so I don't know what, if anything, they will have to say. Probably nothing. Sigh. The next time I have to go in and see my regular nurse practitioner, I'll be anxious to see if they still don't have to use the scribe.

 

This is really bothering me for some reason.

Glad I was just there for a med refill. Maybe I'm just getting old and bucking the new fangled ways.  

[Mt_Rider]

Well....that and feeling like your personal space/business is being invaded more and more and more......

 

MtRider  ....wanna join me behind my lead-lined blue couch, Jeepers? 

[Jeepers]

Yep. I'm grabbing my BOB and coming right over.

[Jeepers]

Oh yes, I'm still on that merry-go-around.

 

I am STILL trying getting my insurance payments straightened out. It is a real issue when your due date goes by and they tell you they bill you for the first 2-3 months at one time. Later. Then you are left hanging because you fear you aren't really covered because you haven't made any payments. So, like a good girl, I made a charge card payment for that first month. Then they go ahead and send me a bill for 2 months anyway. Do I go ahead and send in the amount on the statement? NO. Because I already paid for that first month and if I do, I'll never get it straightened out. It will always look like I'm a month behind.

 

I called them. AGAIN. No problem they say. Well, no problem for them. Mr. Anonymous isn't facing a possible major catastrophe with no insurance. In reality I may not be either but still... So, we get it settled and up to date with another charge payment for the one month I really owe.

 

Except my charge card was denied. I knew nothing was wrong on my end. I'm thinking it was probably hacked. I gave him another card and it was accepted. Now I'm finally up to date on all of my insurance payments. I hope. I've thought this before. I'm not really hopeful.

 

It is so embarrassing when your card is denied even if it is over the phone and not face to face. And I'm thinking it was hacked. Reason number 1 why I keep a very low limit on that card. I only use it over the phone/internet. I called the company (warning, another rant to follow) and they said my card was fine but that the person who was putting in the information entered the wrong expiration date. Crimony.

 

New rant ahead. Why do companies make it so difficult to contact them. Maybe because they don't want to be bothered? They think it's cute to have a phone number with their name used instead of the real number. 1-800-YOU-SUCK.  Don't call that!  I just made it up!  I had to write out their name on a separate piece of paper and then translate it into numbers before I could call. My phone key pad is small and old. The letters are tiny and hazy on my phone. Numbers I can see. And if print gets any smaller...pffft. I jumped through all of the hoops and transfers and the last one didn't have an option for asking why my card was denied. I had to push the option for a stolen card. More hoops more information again and I finally get a live person. Only to find out it was user error on the insurance company's end. Wrong info typed in on the expiration date. Mr. Anonymous was at fault. The person they want me to trust with my unpaid health care.

 

And to add to my misery I have 4 mosquito (I think) bites that are driving me insane-er.

[Midnightmom]

AARP. HATE em!!!

 

The only I get from them is solicitations to join and get such-and-such a "premium."  I used to just automatically toss the envelopes...............until I discovered that the  large laminated/plastic card inside makes a wonderful divider for my recipe box!  It even has a blank orange  stripe across the top (to write the category on) and which makes it easy to find the different sections! Now I look forward to receiving the junk mail. It means I have a new divider for my recipe box!!! 

[Jeepers]

 @ Midnightmon 

 

I NEVER liked them either. I certainly don't agree with their nose in politics. My D-ex joined when he was 50 and the junk mail hasn't ended.

 

However...they did offer the best insurance coverage for my area and at the best price so I decided not to 'cut my nose off to spite my own face'. Also I already had the AARP card from D-ex since we were married then. I'm hoping all of my future dealings with them are over and I can start dealing directly with the insurance company. I have to admit that the people on the phone have been very nice English speaking (important) people. It's just their policy of not billing a person for something very important until 2-3 months after it was issued...really needs to be looked at. Especially when we are used to pre-paying for things like that, a month ahead. And I signed up a month+ before my 65th. birthday so they did have the time. I guess I'll find out in Aug. where I stand. All three of my "elder" insurance companies handled their billing that way.

 

Eleven more months and Social Security can pay for plan A, B and D directly (from my money of course) and I'll just have the supplemental plan to handle. Then I'll set up a separate bank account to have them auto deduct from that.