The Venting Thread

[AmLitHist]

Thanks for the good thoughts, all.  It does help!  And yesterday I planted geraniums and sat out my snake plants on the little patio wall we built last summer, which also helped my mood. I'll do some more container planting today--those will be easy enough for ALHS to water and care for while I'm off my feet.

Langue doc, you're absolutely right: the doc/nurse needs to contact you with a plain-English version of your tests, esp. something like a CAT. When I got my CPAP, the provider told me, "The supplier will call you every. Single. Day. until you order supplies. Save yourself the headache and block their number immediately. When you need something, you can call them yourself."

[Langue_doc]

Thanks, AmLitHist. Sending you good wishes for your foot and your teaching and household activities with said foot. Hope you have a good physical therapist.

When I checked the patient portal, it turns out that the doctor's office had contacted CPAP supplier on April 19th directing them to send the supplies to my address that is on file (no need for date of birth verification). Supplier is holding me hostage out of spite because I refused to provide the dob info they (not my insurance) needed. Called the insurance company which was hacked about a month or so ago, and was told that I could hold for about 29 minutes, or the company would call me back. 29 minutes came and went, so I called again only to be told that I had asked to be called back and that I could continue to wait for a phone call. Another 29 minutes came and went, with me calling, and the process being repeated. Now it's three hours since my first phone call, and no call back. To complicate matters, I received a bill demanding payment for the supplementary insurance despite the payment having been acknowledged. I suspect the long hold/wait time was because other patients too had received the letter for payment, not only for this month, but also for June. Aaargh!!! I did leave a message on the patient portal letting them know that I didn't receive the refills, and also another asking for an explanation of the CT Scan results. I have an appointment with a new provider next week so that she can review the results which are on my patient portal and also on a CD. Tomorrow I'll have to call my congressperson, whose office is quite reliable, to handle the CPAP supplies/supplier. The lung/sleep apnea doctor used to be very good, but I suspect he's getting too old to be on top of things. MY PCP (same practice) and the spine doctor (different practice) would have gotten back to me right away, not only to advise me of the ramifications, but also to inform me of other issues that show up in the scans/MRIs/reports.

[apl68]

Really tired of calls dropping for no apparent reason.  Well, some of them seem to have been weather-related, but not the one that happened just now at work.

[FishProf]

I am angry at...well, I'm not sure. I have a student who I just spent an hour with online sorting out his plans, and he is in a bad place.  Is it because
1) The CC he transferred from misled him about completing his GenEds (so they get to grant an associate's in Liberal Studies) and then being able to complete all his major coursework (In STEM) at FishProf U in TWO YEARS (there is no way to do this); or
2) He is wishy-washy about what he wants to do in my major, adjacent major, or professional school involving my major - when did he decide on plan X, or option Y, or escape plan Z?; or
3) Did he get messed up by FishProf U admissions and Academic Success that set him up to, if not fail, at least spend 2.5 - 3 years here?

It matters to ME, but it doesn't matter to him.  It's now my problem to advise a way out of....so, grrrrr.

[evil_physics_witchcraft]

Since I live in Satan's armpit, it is now the time of year for pest control companies to harass homeowners. I just had a guy ask me if I was seriously considering going with his company and if not to let me know so I wouldn't waste his time. What about wasting my time???!!!!

[Langue_doc]

Updates on my previous vents. After a couple of back and forths on the patient portal about the CPAP supplies, the vendor called yesterday, went through the usual questions, and moved right along despite my refusing, once again, to disclose my date of birth. She did ask if I had any metal (medical) implants or if anyone sleeping alongside had any. This was the first time I've been asked this question. Earlier in the week, the office called to schedule a video visit with the physician to go over the CT Scan findings. Persistence does pay.

[AmLitHist]

I wonder what difference the metal implants make? ALHS is more titanium, surgical steel, and nylon than original equipment at this point (well, I exaggerate, but not by much!), and no one from the sleep doctor/CPAP side of things has ever asked him about that.

[Langue_doc]

I wonder what difference the metal implants make? ALHS is more titanium, surgical steel, and nylon than original equipment at this point (well, I exaggerate, but not by much!), and no one from the sleep doctor/CPAP side of things has ever asked him about that.

From google; I didn't realize that CPAP masks contained magnets--I hope mine doesn't!

[mythbuster]

I'm here to vent about home owners insurance. I pondered making this it's own thread.
   I live in Florida, the 9th pit of home owner insurance hell (among other issues). We got notification that we were being dropped by our insurance company back in March. We have been working with 4 brokers since then trying to obtain a replacement policy by a company that doesn't have a D financial rating.
   Just for context: we don't live at the beach. We live in a lower risk part of Florida for hurricane risk. Heck our neighborhood isn't even in a flood zone- but we buy flood insurance anyway. We replaced our roof a few years back on our own dime just because it was old. We likewise replaced our A/C last year. We have never filed a claim. But still it's been hell by a thousand cuts finding insurance.
   AAA looked good and we were ready to sign- we got the updated inspection done and it looked ok . . . until they wanted metal hurricane shutters on all our windows (estimated cost of that $20,000+- not worth it.). The company we have on the line now wanted our electrical breaker panel replaced. We knew it was old so we did that ($3000).
   Our broker thought all was finalized. . .  But now, they have some issue with "a back spot under the kitchen sink" reported by the initial four point inspection. So now we need a plumber out to certify there is no leak.
    WHY couldn't they have told us about this at the same time as the electrical panel?
    Why? because they really don't want to take our business and are searching for reasons to say no. That's why. We replaced the kitchen faucet a few years ago- I'm sure the black spot is not a current leak. But now I get to sit home yet another morning waiting for a plumber who we will have give $$ to for a 5 minute house call. And who knows what issue they will invent after that.

[Langue_doc]

Updates on my previous vents. After a couple of back and forths on the patient portal about the CPAP supplies, the vendor called yesterday, went through the usual questions, and moved right along despite my refusing, once again, to disclose my date of birth. She did ask if I had any metal (medical) implants or if anyone sleeping alongside had any. This was the first time I've been asked this question. Earlier in the week, the office called to schedule a video visit with the physician to go over the CT Scan findings. Persistence does pay.

The saga continues. I had a three-way call with the insurance provider and the CPAP supplier who claimed that they had not received the prescription from the doctor's office. I found this strange because they (CPAP) called me in April and then in May about these supplies. I'm waiting to hear back from both the doctor's office and the CPAP supplier. What is even stranger is that the CPAP person told me that they could send the refills only after getting the prescription from the doctor, but would text me every.single.day reminding me that it was time to reorder the supplies until I blocked their number.

The representative I talked to yesterday wanted to bump this up to a senior person, but I had a zoom meeting coming up, so had to wait until today. Today's rep didn't want to bump things up but wanted to hear what the supplier had to say--I think her sympathies were with the supplier.

In case any of you would like to complain about your medical supplies/supplier contact SHIP, State Health Insurance Assitance Program (the rep I talked to yesterday suggested that I file a complaint with this organization as well).

[AmLitHist]

Sorry to hear about the ongoing CPAP hassles, Langue doc! ALHS and I just blocked the supplier's number on our phones--"don't call us, we'll call you!" And we generally end up buying supplies from Amazon with the FSA card, which is much cheaper anyway.

Mythbuster, how does all that work, then?  I've read about various insurance companies refusing to write policies in Florida, California, et al., but as you're saying, it's almost impossible to find coverage from a decent company (let alone afford it). But isn't it a condition of most (all?) mortgages that the homeowner has to carry property insurance?  [We've rented forever, and I'm in central IL where we don't get much aside from some hail and tornadoes, so I really don't know how all this works as a practical matter.] I can't even imagine how frustrating it mus be for you!

[spork]

Since people are frequently voicing medically related complaints here:

Early morning physician appointment today, I arrive to find the waiting room packed. Turns out the practice is changing to a different software system. I sign the photocopied HIPAA acknowledgement form, which will get scanned and stored in a file folder that no one will ever open, get my DL and insurance card scanned, pay my co-pay, and am handed a tablet to complete a digital patient questionnaire that duplicates information already on record. Patients in the waiting room, including myself, are struggling to use the touchscreen.

I get called back by a medical assistant, who hands me a printed list of my medications. Which is at least a decade out of date. As in, "This list is 100% incorrect, I haven't taken any of these meds in years," which is what I say to the assistant. I have no idea how this list was dredged up because it is completely different from what was in my medical record at my last appointment six months ago.

I then wait in the exam room for the physician for 45 minutes after my scheduled appointment time. He shows up and our discussion revolves around his conclusion about one treatment option, the same option we discussed at the last appointment. I wasn't persuaded by his reasoning then and I wasn't persuaded today, so I've decided to seek out a second opinion.

[Langue_doc]

Thanks, AmLitHist. I have to look into the FSA card.

As for the CPAP supplier, I've been so thoroughly gaslit. I alerted the Sleep Lab, which has been submitting the refill requests for more than a decade now, about the supplier's claim that they didn't hear from the Lab. The lab sent me the date they sent the prescription (late March) and also the follow-up requests. They were also contacted by the supplier after my three-way conversation, and resubmitted the request. The supplier called me in the afternoon claiming that they had finally received the prescription. When I pointed out that the Lab had sent out the required paperwork much earlier, she claimed, falsely, that the initial paperwork didn't follow proper protocols. The same person, earlier in the day told me that according to her records, the doctor's office didn't submit any paperwork/request. The same supplier's office contacted me two weeks ago to let me know that the supplies were being sent.

Time to get my act together and file a proper complaint with the agencies overseeing medical supplies.

[lightning]

There are times when I want to intentionally become a life & career fvck-up, so I no longer have to be responsible for being the responsible one.

[sinenomine]

There are times when I want to intentionally become a life & career fvck-up, so I no longer have to be responsible for being the responsible one.

I feel the same! :)