Saturday, June 23, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
It's been "decisioned" ?
I went into see my banker at Bank of America (pls. people, spare yourself the misery) because I got charged a bunch of overdraft fees like the first week I had the account. Long story--thought I was set up with overdraft protection---which I was---from my savings! Fancypants banking guy never explained what I had--asked him ten million times to do it the other way, but he was too busy I guess. I should preface by saying the only reason I decided to go to this bank is because they sent me a $75 gift certificate for moving. Sucker am I.
Anyhoot, I got the incredible opportunity to speak with the Bank Manager the other day. And let me just say, I would have had more success dealing with Carol Beer of Little Britain.
I think the people at this branch must snort heaps of coke all day or something, because both the orignial guy and the Bank Manager had nervous twitches and bloody cuticles. They both blinked way too much for my comfort level. Like really--every .1 seconds--blinking. Is that a condition?
In any case, the Bank Manager showed me the computer screen of the 100 or so dollars worth of erroneous charges, demonstrating that a refund is not possible because it's already been "decisioned". Is this some new word that banks use now to justify fucking you over. Like is there some goddamn Bank of America Sanhendrin at the top of the Bank chain that made this ruling during a private ceremony or something, so much so that this dude--the manager for chrissakes can't overrule it. At one point, I swear he punched the "Enter" key several times just to show me that "the computer says no"...and then gave me an long, condescending speil about keeping a bank register like I was 15 or something. I interrupted him midway and thanked him for his help. I seriously have not kept a bank register since I was maybe 11 years old and I opened my first account with 5 dollars at Arlington Trust--ya know the days when banks didn't change names every two minutes.
So I'm posting a pic of this poor shlub just cos I feel like it and I never got a refund. I hate corporate America. I really do. I wish I didn't have to participate in it. I suppose I could put my money in safety deposit box, but I need checks to write out rent and bills and all that crap.
Anyhoot, I got the incredible opportunity to speak with the Bank Manager the other day. And let me just say, I would have had more success dealing with Carol Beer of Little Britain.
I think the people at this branch must snort heaps of coke all day or something, because both the orignial guy and the Bank Manager had nervous twitches and bloody cuticles. They both blinked way too much for my comfort level. Like really--every .1 seconds--blinking. Is that a condition?
In any case, the Bank Manager showed me the computer screen of the 100 or so dollars worth of erroneous charges, demonstrating that a refund is not possible because it's already been "decisioned". Is this some new word that banks use now to justify fucking you over. Like is there some goddamn Bank of America Sanhendrin at the top of the Bank chain that made this ruling during a private ceremony or something, so much so that this dude--the manager for chrissakes can't overrule it. At one point, I swear he punched the "Enter" key several times just to show me that "the computer says no"...and then gave me an long, condescending speil about keeping a bank register like I was 15 or something. I interrupted him midway and thanked him for his help. I seriously have not kept a bank register since I was maybe 11 years old and I opened my first account with 5 dollars at Arlington Trust--ya know the days when banks didn't change names every two minutes.
So I'm posting a pic of this poor shlub just cos I feel like it and I never got a refund. I hate corporate America. I really do. I wish I didn't have to participate in it. I suppose I could put my money in safety deposit box, but I need checks to write out rent and bills and all that crap.
Saturday, June 9, 2007
row row row ur boat gently thru the birdshit & fuel, move the bunnycondo & have a boca burger!
tonight was reminiscent of several years ago that i tried to find myself in nature on newfound lake (no pun, seriously) at the Audubon society. i rented a canoe (by myself). i suppose the native americans didn't really invent canoes for loner-types like me, but always one to test a hypothesis, off i went.
let's just say, i was out there so long fighting riptides that the director of the center sent out two hikers to make sure i wasn't dead. every other minute it seemed some jackass would zoom by me on a jet ski or a huge, fucking yacht with some skinny, blonde chick tanning while i paddled my way into complete and utter frustration. but, out of necessity is born ..well, something, because i somehow got back to the dock..somehow.still not sure how, i just i remember sticking to the rocks and inching along.
this memory, of course, did not cross my mind when jivanna asked to go out in the canoe and i quickly volunteered my ginger-from-gilligan's-island services. i sort of fell into the canoe..as opposed to sitting in it, tried to stand up, felt it start tipping, sat down again..etc. This went on for a good five minutes. And Janga, noticing my struggle threw in one life jacket, which probably wouldn't even have fit my boobs, but i'm sure she figured that the10 year old would be more adept at saving her own life than the 30 year old, so why throw in two life jackets..yea, i think that was it. sad. really sad.
yea, canoes and me = not good.
give me something with torque, an engine..ya know. i jet skied once in Florida near shaq's house amongst alligators. i know it's not eco-friendly but all i ask for is a way to escape the torture of my own awkwardness when it comes to one of these things. i break stuff. .i can't paddle all that well and i usually tip the thing over. but somehow, i still have fun. maybe i like to challenge myself. or i'm just really used to total chaos.
such was the case with me and jivanna..a very intelligent, beautiful and amazing 10 year old. i think maybe i would like a child ..but to skip to age 10. i know 3 really amazing 10 year olds and she is one of them. i mean, she's smart enough to get it, but not too smart to totally get it..and yet, the angst has not set in. everything is still an adventure, even getting caught in a foamy frappe of green birdshit and boat fuel, which is exactly what happened. and it was totally hilarious. and sometimes it feels good to just go ahead, embrace life, and be willing to make a complete ass of yourself in the process. i know i sound like a trailer for a coming of age movie or an after-school special, but it's true!
jivanna was highly entertained at my complete ineptitude and the fact that i was dripping green, foamy birdshit on myself every time i had to switch hands with the paddle. i honestly don't know how the hell i survived 30 days in a VW bus cross-country, except that i do recall kevin kendall telling me i was like ginger from gilligan's island--in northern california's bear-country, a clove cigarette in one hand and an iron skillet in the other. i had never, ever, ever slept in a tent until that time in 1999. my parents were not outdoor, woodsy types. i tried skiing in my backyard once and did an involuntary split. i borrowed my brother's skateboard and hit a rock and went flying. then one time at nick maroun's , my brother insisted i get on the back of nick's four-wheeler. i obliged and without notifying me that he was about to zoom off, my brother jammed on the accelerator. i went flying backwards and i slammed my head on the cement. i stood up, picked up my pink headband, said, "i'm fine"..and walked home with a HUGE lump on my head, crying. another time, i was outside my pepere's playing and some kid, aiming at a tree with his lawn dart, accidentally got my head instead. my memere came out and told him to "fuck off" (first time i ever heard her swear). i walked into the house with a yellow dart protruding from my head, looked in the mirror and yanked it out like nothing had ever happened.
another time, i went to do a cannonball off my aunt's diving board and i didn't give myself enough distance and landed back on the diving board, hitting my knee. i remember hoping the knee injury would cause me to just drown because i was too embarrassed to come back up for air.
but on my cross-country trip, some sort of strange, survival instinct must have kicked in. find firewood, check. swim naked in a man-made reservoir in Nebraska, check. skin an alligator with my bear hands, check. okay, i wore a bathing suit. But looking back, even with the other foibles, that instinct was always there. i sort of just dust myself off and get back on the proverbial bull.
i should have prefaced this blog by saying that my mission was to help janga and kateri move a bunny hutch. i wasn't even sure what that was until i saw this damn thing. this was the most ginormous, freaking, bunny condominium i have ever seen in my life. it literally took 6 of us to move it and not easily (curses for not getting a photo). that was with the legs sawed off and without the stairs..yes, the goddamn thing had stairs on it. maybe like 5 feet wide with heating lamps and sliding windows..sort of like mini-bunny newpro windows. I was hoping Lady Elaine Fairechild from the Land of Make-believe would make a special appearance.
so jivanna says i'm her new best friend and it's funny, once u literally travel through dirty, shit frappe with someone, you can't help but have a bond. and then everything after that point was just super, bondy, fun time--a mutual love of pickles and more or less a contest at who can be the dorkiest. but i know this won't last. she'll find a new favorite next week and i'll be back to swimming in my canoe alone again...maybe i can train my dog to paddle. or, i'll ask lady elaine to help out. She's got special powers, ya know.
This was the first time I ever saw my dog swim. She is great in the water.
This is J with mama-Janga
This is Jivanna putting stars on my pup
This is my dog wearing star antennae while I drive to get bunny hutch
This is Dell, Mick and Brian setting up fire
Sunset
Sacred fire, pixelated cellphone pic
Swimming out to greet the Mama and her ducklings. I was so proud of her. *gush*
let's just say, i was out there so long fighting riptides that the director of the center sent out two hikers to make sure i wasn't dead. every other minute it seemed some jackass would zoom by me on a jet ski or a huge, fucking yacht with some skinny, blonde chick tanning while i paddled my way into complete and utter frustration. but, out of necessity is born ..well, something, because i somehow got back to the dock..somehow.still not sure how, i just i remember sticking to the rocks and inching along.
this memory, of course, did not cross my mind when jivanna asked to go out in the canoe and i quickly volunteered my ginger-from-gilligan's-island services. i sort of fell into the canoe..as opposed to sitting in it, tried to stand up, felt it start tipping, sat down again..etc. This went on for a good five minutes. And Janga, noticing my struggle threw in one life jacket, which probably wouldn't even have fit my boobs, but i'm sure she figured that the10 year old would be more adept at saving her own life than the 30 year old, so why throw in two life jackets..yea, i think that was it. sad. really sad.
yea, canoes and me = not good.
give me something with torque, an engine..ya know. i jet skied once in Florida near shaq's house amongst alligators. i know it's not eco-friendly but all i ask for is a way to escape the torture of my own awkwardness when it comes to one of these things. i break stuff. .i can't paddle all that well and i usually tip the thing over. but somehow, i still have fun. maybe i like to challenge myself. or i'm just really used to total chaos.
such was the case with me and jivanna..a very intelligent, beautiful and amazing 10 year old. i think maybe i would like a child ..but to skip to age 10. i know 3 really amazing 10 year olds and she is one of them. i mean, she's smart enough to get it, but not too smart to totally get it..and yet, the angst has not set in. everything is still an adventure, even getting caught in a foamy frappe of green birdshit and boat fuel, which is exactly what happened. and it was totally hilarious. and sometimes it feels good to just go ahead, embrace life, and be willing to make a complete ass of yourself in the process. i know i sound like a trailer for a coming of age movie or an after-school special, but it's true!
jivanna was highly entertained at my complete ineptitude and the fact that i was dripping green, foamy birdshit on myself every time i had to switch hands with the paddle. i honestly don't know how the hell i survived 30 days in a VW bus cross-country, except that i do recall kevin kendall telling me i was like ginger from gilligan's island--in northern california's bear-country, a clove cigarette in one hand and an iron skillet in the other. i had never, ever, ever slept in a tent until that time in 1999. my parents were not outdoor, woodsy types. i tried skiing in my backyard once and did an involuntary split. i borrowed my brother's skateboard and hit a rock and went flying. then one time at nick maroun's , my brother insisted i get on the back of nick's four-wheeler. i obliged and without notifying me that he was about to zoom off, my brother jammed on the accelerator. i went flying backwards and i slammed my head on the cement. i stood up, picked up my pink headband, said, "i'm fine"..and walked home with a HUGE lump on my head, crying. another time, i was outside my pepere's playing and some kid, aiming at a tree with his lawn dart, accidentally got my head instead. my memere came out and told him to "fuck off" (first time i ever heard her swear). i walked into the house with a yellow dart protruding from my head, looked in the mirror and yanked it out like nothing had ever happened.
another time, i went to do a cannonball off my aunt's diving board and i didn't give myself enough distance and landed back on the diving board, hitting my knee. i remember hoping the knee injury would cause me to just drown because i was too embarrassed to come back up for air.
but on my cross-country trip, some sort of strange, survival instinct must have kicked in. find firewood, check. swim naked in a man-made reservoir in Nebraska, check. skin an alligator with my bear hands, check. okay, i wore a bathing suit. But looking back, even with the other foibles, that instinct was always there. i sort of just dust myself off and get back on the proverbial bull.
i should have prefaced this blog by saying that my mission was to help janga and kateri move a bunny hutch. i wasn't even sure what that was until i saw this damn thing. this was the most ginormous, freaking, bunny condominium i have ever seen in my life. it literally took 6 of us to move it and not easily (curses for not getting a photo). that was with the legs sawed off and without the stairs..yes, the goddamn thing had stairs on it. maybe like 5 feet wide with heating lamps and sliding windows..sort of like mini-bunny newpro windows. I was hoping Lady Elaine Fairechild from the Land of Make-believe would make a special appearance.
so jivanna says i'm her new best friend and it's funny, once u literally travel through dirty, shit frappe with someone, you can't help but have a bond. and then everything after that point was just super, bondy, fun time--a mutual love of pickles and more or less a contest at who can be the dorkiest. but i know this won't last. she'll find a new favorite next week and i'll be back to swimming in my canoe alone again...maybe i can train my dog to paddle. or, i'll ask lady elaine to help out. She's got special powers, ya know.
This was the first time I ever saw my dog swim. She is great in the water.
This is J with mama-Janga
This is Jivanna putting stars on my pup
This is my dog wearing star antennae while I drive to get bunny hutch
This is Dell, Mick and Brian setting up fire
Sunset
Sacred fire, pixelated cellphone pic
Swimming out to greet the Mama and her ducklings. I was so proud of her. *gush*
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
One of the many reasons my bro Jamie kicks ass
Last night at open mic, he covered India.Arie's "Brown Skin".
To clarify, this is a song written by a black female to a black male.
To further clarify, he performed this song to a group of caucasians. I mean, there was seriously noone of "brown" persuasion in THE place.
I call this "being secure in oneself". My bro is seriously the Daryl Hall of Northeast Massachusetts.
So for the front table of frat boys too interested in your Bud Lights to realize the lyrics, these are for you:
"Brown Skin"
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I cant tell where yours begins, I cant tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then:oh hey:
Where are your people from? Maybe Mississippi or an Island
Apparently your skin has been kissed by the sun
You make me want a Hershey's kiss, your licorice
Every time I see your lips, it makes me think of honey-coated chocolate
Your kisses are worth more than gold to me
I'll be your almond joy, you'll be my sugar daddy
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I cant tell where yours begins, I cant tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then:oh hey:
Every time you come around, something magnetic pulls me and I cant get out
Disoriented, I cant tell my up from down
All I know is that I wanna lay you down
Every time I let you in, abracadabra magic happens as we swim
Higher and higher finally we reach heaven
Come back to earth and then we do it all again
Yeah:..
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I cant tell where yours begins, I cant tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then:oh hey:
Skin so brown, lips so round
Baby how can I be down?
Beautiful mahogany, you make me feel like a queen
Tell me what's that thing you do that makes me wanna get next to you, yeah
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I cant tell where yours begins, I cant tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then:oh hey:
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I cant tell where yours begins, I cant tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then:oh hey:
To clarify, this is a song written by a black female to a black male.
To further clarify, he performed this song to a group of caucasians. I mean, there was seriously noone of "brown" persuasion in THE place.
I call this "being secure in oneself". My bro is seriously the Daryl Hall of Northeast Massachusetts.
So for the front table of frat boys too interested in your Bud Lights to realize the lyrics, these are for you:
"Brown Skin"
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I cant tell where yours begins, I cant tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then:oh hey:
Where are your people from? Maybe Mississippi or an Island
Apparently your skin has been kissed by the sun
You make me want a Hershey's kiss, your licorice
Every time I see your lips, it makes me think of honey-coated chocolate
Your kisses are worth more than gold to me
I'll be your almond joy, you'll be my sugar daddy
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I cant tell where yours begins, I cant tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then:oh hey:
Every time you come around, something magnetic pulls me and I cant get out
Disoriented, I cant tell my up from down
All I know is that I wanna lay you down
Every time I let you in, abracadabra magic happens as we swim
Higher and higher finally we reach heaven
Come back to earth and then we do it all again
Yeah:..
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I cant tell where yours begins, I cant tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then:oh hey:
Skin so brown, lips so round
Baby how can I be down?
Beautiful mahogany, you make me feel like a queen
Tell me what's that thing you do that makes me wanna get next to you, yeah
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I cant tell where yours begins, I cant tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then:oh hey:
Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I cant tell where yours begins, I cant tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then:oh hey:
Monday, June 4, 2007
in the woods of massacusetts, i met a lovely, tibetan man
His name is Penpa Sering. He studied with the Dalai Lama and is truly one of the most gifted individual I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Please check him out.
And to add to my good fortune, I had somewhat murky directions to this organic farm (inhabited by 4 amazing cooks, artists, farmers, lovelies and a ginormous Saint Bernard who put his paw on top of my pup's paw) and somehow made it there with no so much as even a glitch. Thank you American Legion of Tyngsboro! Trying to explain to you people that I was looking for a farm in the woods was pretty hilarious.
On Tuesday, I met this lovely band at open mic night. The female singer is from NY and the guitar player is a Bostonian. They are very sweet and cool. Check them out: http://www.myspace.com/dagmartheband
And today, I found myself at the tail end of the Dorchester Day parade--i caught the last of the lovely men in kilts at the Banshee on Dot ave I was going to my friend's place where I caught up with old friends from my teaching days and met some new ones.
I topped the night off in Medford to see my friend's belly. She is extremely pregnant.
I wish I could post more but there's a battle between me and this wifi connection and I'm losing.
Love and Blessings to you all.
I leave you with four songs that have been superimposed on my brain this week..
Oh yea. One last thing. It's June and the heat just kicked on.
Pete Rock and CL Smooth
Lauryn Hill
Jeff Buckley
Talib Kweli
And to add to my good fortune, I had somewhat murky directions to this organic farm (inhabited by 4 amazing cooks, artists, farmers, lovelies and a ginormous Saint Bernard who put his paw on top of my pup's paw) and somehow made it there with no so much as even a glitch. Thank you American Legion of Tyngsboro! Trying to explain to you people that I was looking for a farm in the woods was pretty hilarious.
On Tuesday, I met this lovely band at open mic night. The female singer is from NY and the guitar player is a Bostonian. They are very sweet and cool. Check them out: http://www.myspace.com/dagmartheband
And today, I found myself at the tail end of the Dorchester Day parade--i caught the last of the lovely men in kilts at the Banshee on Dot ave I was going to my friend's place where I caught up with old friends from my teaching days and met some new ones.
I topped the night off in Medford to see my friend's belly. She is extremely pregnant.
I wish I could post more but there's a battle between me and this wifi connection and I'm losing.
Love and Blessings to you all.
I leave you with four songs that have been superimposed on my brain this week..
Oh yea. One last thing. It's June and the heat just kicked on.
Pete Rock and CL Smooth
Lauryn Hill
Jeff Buckley
Talib Kweli
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Michael Moore’s Revenge, dear friend w/ no insurance, wise consumers
Larry King is the King of awesome, and by "awesome", I mean awesome like old, stinky sock-awesome.
But the reason I'm posting this, whether you like Michael Moore or not, is because our healthcare system is severely fucked up. Most can agree on this. Good luck to you if you think this system is working. I think the best thing we can do is to shine a light on the problem, because it is a BIG problem, and problems don't get fixed by ignoring them.
That, and I just got off the phone tonight with one of my dearest friends who's just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She's been an RN for over 20 years and has worked per diem/agency for the past few years. Over the past few years, she has also not had ANY health insurance, nor does she have it now. My friend can now apply for medicaid because she is under 65 and her illness is expected to last more than 12 months, she might not have to pay premiums and /or deductibles with her plan. So, it's feels like a lot now, but a little too late. Christ, my dog, with the little 8 dollar premium i pay each month for accidental injury and sudden illness allows for more coverage than what my friend gets. This is a sad state of affairs, people.
So it got me thinking; how many regular check-ups and mammograms, etc. were passed over based on my friend's lack of insurance? And could even an ounce of preventative care have saved her from the state she is in now? What does this mean, on a larger scale, for all of the baby-boomers, with all of their illnesses, who will be the largest segment of our population soon?
And then, I became livid. VERY livid.
Because I love my friend and the thought of losing her over something that could have been caught early-on had the system she was working for and investing in, invested in here by way of health insurance.
And yes, it is now mandatory in this state. This glorified, last minute, hobbled-together Commonhealth care program. When you get a chance, shop around at the different plans and take a notice of astronomical deductibles. As the premium goes down, your deductible goes up, not to mention the copays and if you decide to go with the plan that covers RX, the gold deluxe plan or some such non-sense. And the premiums are less than privatized insurance, yes, but they're still hefty..and they no doubt get heftier as the quality goes up.
Someone's still getting richer. Several people, actually.
Livid, yes. Livid.
So the only advice I can offer this very moment, until we TAKE BACK THIS AWFUL SYSTEM, is this:
with this HMO-profit-driven system is in place, be a wise consumer. Get a second opinion. Hell, get a 14th opinion if you have to. Become your own advocate, whether it be mental or physical health services, ESPECIALLY mental health since private doctors are so beholden to pharmaceutical dollar bills. If you don't feel strong enough to advocate for yourself, find someone who can advocate for you, preferably someone who has a little pit-bull in her. Ask 101 questions...even if they get impatient with you. Research your prognosis, symptomologies and treatment options on the internet. Find other people who have used those treatments. The internet is your friend. I used it to research a detrimental procedure an MD wanted me to have, but thanks to a few kind strangers, it was narrowly averted.
And remember, just because it's an M.D. with a lot of power, consider him/her open for comparison-shopping. M.D. is also the initials of Mad Dog, that awful Malt Liquor that makes you sick. Just remember that mnemonic device in the doctor's office, when he's presenting his "opinion" to you. Just think, this person might be toxic.
This is the advice I gave my friend, (well, not the mad-dog part) when she explained that, during her first, 5 minute consult with an oncology surgeon, and (even though she's NOT YET had a biopsy) was told "you can assume you have malignant breast cancer--we might as well give you a mastectomy."
Well, I do know one thing about surgeons. The more surgeries they perform, the more money they make. I reminded her of that, but she, of course, was so shell-shock from the day's events, that she was unable to process anthing else.
So, sorry for the long bulletin. I just want people to know that there ARE ALWAYS options and they are never alone. Don't take one person's opinion for bond. There are as many varying treatments as there are prognoses.
And here's what I was getting to:
Following Monday night's heated exchange between Michael Moore and Wolf Blitzer on CNN's Situation Room, the Sicko director appeared on Larry King Live on Tuesday night and had his way with CNN's medical expert, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
ps. Here is an example of a Commonwealth care insurance plan through the state of Massachusetts:
Your family size is: 1 (change)
If your current gross family income is less than $30,636.00/yr ($2,553.00/mo), you may be eligible for the Commonwealth Care program.
This only covers regular check-ups, treatment when you are sick or injured, prescriptions at your local pharmacy, vision care, mental health or substance abuse treatment, and, for some members, dental care. Commonwealth Care plans are offered by Boston Medical Center (BMC) Health Net Plan, Fallon Community Health Plan, Neighborhood Health Plan and Network Health.
Basically, with Deval Patrick's new system, Commonwealth Care, the higher the premium, the lower the deductible...etc and so on..so it's not really universal, it's more like "hey, it's available if you don't mind paying really high premiums and by the way, it's mandatory." So, it's sorta, kinda a solution..a better-than-nothing-system of sorts.
Click on this link to research more plans.
http://www.mahealthconnector.org/
But the reason I'm posting this, whether you like Michael Moore or not, is because our healthcare system is severely fucked up. Most can agree on this. Good luck to you if you think this system is working. I think the best thing we can do is to shine a light on the problem, because it is a BIG problem, and problems don't get fixed by ignoring them.
That, and I just got off the phone tonight with one of my dearest friends who's just been diagnosed with breast cancer. She's been an RN for over 20 years and has worked per diem/agency for the past few years. Over the past few years, she has also not had ANY health insurance, nor does she have it now. My friend can now apply for medicaid because she is under 65 and her illness is expected to last more than 12 months, she might not have to pay premiums and /or deductibles with her plan. So, it's feels like a lot now, but a little too late. Christ, my dog, with the little 8 dollar premium i pay each month for accidental injury and sudden illness allows for more coverage than what my friend gets. This is a sad state of affairs, people.
So it got me thinking; how many regular check-ups and mammograms, etc. were passed over based on my friend's lack of insurance? And could even an ounce of preventative care have saved her from the state she is in now? What does this mean, on a larger scale, for all of the baby-boomers, with all of their illnesses, who will be the largest segment of our population soon?
And then, I became livid. VERY livid.
Because I love my friend and the thought of losing her over something that could have been caught early-on had the system she was working for and investing in, invested in here by way of health insurance.
And yes, it is now mandatory in this state. This glorified, last minute, hobbled-together Commonhealth care program. When you get a chance, shop around at the different plans and take a notice of astronomical deductibles. As the premium goes down, your deductible goes up, not to mention the copays and if you decide to go with the plan that covers RX, the gold deluxe plan or some such non-sense. And the premiums are less than privatized insurance, yes, but they're still hefty..and they no doubt get heftier as the quality goes up.
Someone's still getting richer. Several people, actually.
Livid, yes. Livid.
So the only advice I can offer this very moment, until we TAKE BACK THIS AWFUL SYSTEM, is this:
with this HMO-profit-driven system is in place, be a wise consumer. Get a second opinion. Hell, get a 14th opinion if you have to. Become your own advocate, whether it be mental or physical health services, ESPECIALLY mental health since private doctors are so beholden to pharmaceutical dollar bills. If you don't feel strong enough to advocate for yourself, find someone who can advocate for you, preferably someone who has a little pit-bull in her. Ask 101 questions...even if they get impatient with you. Research your prognosis, symptomologies and treatment options on the internet. Find other people who have used those treatments. The internet is your friend. I used it to research a detrimental procedure an MD wanted me to have, but thanks to a few kind strangers, it was narrowly averted.
And remember, just because it's an M.D. with a lot of power, consider him/her open for comparison-shopping. M.D. is also the initials of Mad Dog, that awful Malt Liquor that makes you sick. Just remember that mnemonic device in the doctor's office, when he's presenting his "opinion" to you. Just think, this person might be toxic.
This is the advice I gave my friend, (well, not the mad-dog part) when she explained that, during her first, 5 minute consult with an oncology surgeon, and (even though she's NOT YET had a biopsy) was told "you can assume you have malignant breast cancer--we might as well give you a mastectomy."
Well, I do know one thing about surgeons. The more surgeries they perform, the more money they make. I reminded her of that, but she, of course, was so shell-shock from the day's events, that she was unable to process anthing else.
So, sorry for the long bulletin. I just want people to know that there ARE ALWAYS options and they are never alone. Don't take one person's opinion for bond. There are as many varying treatments as there are prognoses.
And here's what I was getting to:
Following Monday night's heated exchange between Michael Moore and Wolf Blitzer on CNN's Situation Room, the Sicko director appeared on Larry King Live on Tuesday night and had his way with CNN's medical expert, Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
ps. Here is an example of a Commonwealth care insurance plan through the state of Massachusetts:
Your family size is: 1 (change)
If your current gross family income is less than $30,636.00/yr ($2,553.00/mo), you may be eligible for the Commonwealth Care program.
This only covers regular check-ups, treatment when you are sick or injured, prescriptions at your local pharmacy, vision care, mental health or substance abuse treatment, and, for some members, dental care. Commonwealth Care plans are offered by Boston Medical Center (BMC) Health Net Plan, Fallon Community Health Plan, Neighborhood Health Plan and Network Health.
Basically, with Deval Patrick's new system, Commonwealth Care, the higher the premium, the lower the deductible...etc and so on..so it's not really universal, it's more like "hey, it's available if you don't mind paying really high premiums and by the way, it's mandatory." So, it's sorta, kinda a solution..a better-than-nothing-system of sorts.
Click on this link to research more plans.
http://www.mahealthconnector.org/
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