Post #351,737
12/7/11 6:02:38 PM
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Wait until you hear the ones about health insurance...
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Post #351,740
12/7/11 8:27:31 PM
12/7/11 8:29:04 PM
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Don't get me started...
My Ear surgery total cost before "insurance company negotiations" was over $65,000.
After negotiations... just about $37,000.
I still ended up having to pay $5,000 for my High Deductible... plus 20% after that, PLUS my monthly premium is $2278 for the family (reimbursed from the company).
SO... this year, Molly had a second nasal surgery for about $15,000 pre-negotiated fee. $5,000 for her deductible plus 20% of left over $10,000.
Molly == $5,000 + $2,000 == $7,000
Greg == $5,000 + $6,400 == $11,400
Karen == $3,700 (not reached $5,000 this year) == $3,700
Monthly Premiums == $2,278 x 12 == $27,336
My total health care costs, for my employer and myself == $49,436
That doesn't include Medications. Which for Molly was $2,700 this year (for Psycho-psychotic meds) and for me my Diabetic meds and "supplies" was $970.
Schweet... and people wonder why health care is my hot button!
And they (Aetna) are still cheaping out on things like medications. Refusing to cover cough syrup and an inhaled steroid for my bronchitis... costing me more money.
Another year like this, being the 2nd in a row as last year Karen had multiple ER visits and Gall Bladder Removal Surgery, finally when they figured it out. Molly had her first Nasal surgery last year (and) Molly had a "non-covered procedure" last year for $12,000, still paying off Mom and Dad for that)... and I'll have to file bankruptcy if we get a third one.
Edited by folkert
Dec. 7, 2011, 08:29:04 PM EST
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Post #351,741
12/7/11 8:36:05 PM
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Yikes. :-(
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Post #356,135
4/4/12 10:27:49 PM
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Karen is going in for...
Uterine Bleeding and thickening of the Endometrium. She is not post-menopausal.
Ultrasound picked up some "heavier spots"
Feck me...
This already is costing $1800 for the Ultrasound and the pre-screening and a biopsy. Looks to be about $3500 for the tests and biopsy of the "spots"...
Great. Bankruptcy here I come.
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Post #356,136
4/4/12 10:38:13 PM
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Hang in there. Best of luck to her.
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Post #356,145
4/5/12 9:31:43 AM
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I'm not able to concentrate...
at the moment.
I'm more worried about what Aetna will block paying for than anything else right now.
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Post #356,147
4/5/12 9:37:05 AM
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Man, hope this crap eases up for you
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free American and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 55 years. meep
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Post #356,217
4/6/12 2:03:16 PM
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^What he said, man. That is rough.
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Post #356,233
4/6/12 10:36:03 PM
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Well... at this point...
She is bleeding enough to saturate 8 "overnight" pads a day, plus running down her legs at any given point.
We might be visiting the Emergency Room this weekend, if it doesn't slow down at all. Got new meds yesterday... slowed it down about 1/4.
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Post #356,236
4/7/12 12:00:24 AM
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Don't put off getting her checked out.
The symptoms sound similar to what my mom went through.
http://en.wikipedia..../Uterine_fibroids
It was a long time ago, but hysterectomy was the treatment in her case.
Hang in there, and best wishes.
Cheers,
Scott.
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Post #356,259
4/7/12 6:43:22 PM
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Its slowed down... thankfully.
Its down to about 2 a day now.
Plus the urgency isn't there now.
Tuesday can't come soon enough.
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Post #356,158
4/5/12 10:48:37 AM
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And of course I just sent that email asking for time
Don't worry about it, it'll sit.
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Post #356,162
4/5/12 12:24:19 PM
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I already replied.
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Post #351,742
12/7/11 9:02:14 PM
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Those premiums are insane
How big is your company?
Regards, -scott Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson.
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Post #351,744
12/7/11 11:37:08 PM
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SMALL.
We are down to 11 people now. $2,278 is the cost for here in Michigan, which is about $200 more per employee than in all other states. That is the entire benefits package, including dental and life insurance... but the bulk of the $2,278 (about $2,125) is for health coverage.
(putting on my speculation goggles)
If things keep going the way they are, we are probably going to drop one or two more in the next couple of months. Perhaps 3 total in the next year.
(taking off my speculation goggles)
This economy is killing our customers and through them, us. Many of our large customers have been downsizing a lot as well. Some of our small customers have just withered away. Not a lot of new small customers coming and staying due to the complexity of actually DOING daily batching, caseload, "wealth" forecasting, bulk e-mail management and other things, we are PCI compliant and that makes people and passwords very cumbersome, since its required to be at least a certain length and have certain characteristics but not others. We do complete backups and don't lose data even when the customer deletes large section of the data and files. We have a routine for maintenance and how its handled. We do scanning, internally and externally (required by PCI). We have a really DEEP API feature set that includes things NONE of our competitors even comes close to offering. Small customers want it all to just be, without the work... but all the features. Hey Data, support and direction has to come from somewhere... its not going to come from Magical Unicorn Farts and just be there!
We don't drink or offer Kool-aid, we stand on our merits and core values... its hurting us to be morally and ethically upright. Many of our customers wanted us to be a "non-profit" so we became one, being owned by a foundation, its not helping, in fact some (of the very same ones) now see it as a hindrance. Also, many competitors are in their 5th re-write from the ground up using different technologies... our stuff is fast, it works awesomely, has depth. We just don't tell people what they want to hear, so they'll buy and then fail to deliver. We tell them straight out of the gate, our stuff rocks, when the upfront work is done.
There are other things that really hit us hard, people being in different Cities around the US and Canada. Labor Compliance is difficult. Taxes and staying abreast of changes pertinent to us are difficult in 6 States plus a Province in Canada.
Its just getting to the point where its tough being SaaS and SaaS only. Many organizations, we are finding want a PACKAGE Deal, with full marketing, fulfillment, direct mail, printing and publishing, electronic marketing (FB, Twitter, analytics, SEO, Web hosting, Easy button, etc...) , data management and reporting, product development, events direction and many other pieces, all in one place.
Ahh... heck, I don't know.
NOTICE to certain persons here, you know whom you are:
Please just keep a lid on this... no need to mention this to the 5 or more friends we have in common.
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Post #351,750
12/8/11 8:02:25 AM
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Yikes indeed
Similar plan, but at least our deductible is only 2500/head.
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