What Are You Buying Right Now? (non-OT version)

Ozzie_Isaac

nolaegghead said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

Eoin said:

nolaegghead said:

CPFC1905 said:

We've got 9 this year because we have a Queen but I assume those of an anti-monarchist leaning can work it if they want?     Likewise the fervent capitalists can work the one in early May?  

Usually 8 https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays  

Then there's the bonus day and half every year for civil servants, again thanks to Chief Liz.  

.....Big problem in the US is you're dependent on employers, if you're lucky, for health insurance.  It's super expensive if you don't have a job or you have to hang on until you're 65.....

This must be the biggest drag on your economy, that the system discourages small business and innovation by means of a healthcare system that makes it hard to leave salaried emloyment.

Yes.  It doesn't make sense for one because the current system of private coverage is extremely inefficient.  Almost as many people as those that do actual treatment and diagnosis are trying to figure out the nightmare of benefit eligibility, payment, coordination, etc.  John spent an insane amount of time on the phone dealing with some insurance refusal.  Some companies refuse just about everything and make you fight for your benefits.  It's a waste of everyone's time with lousy outcomes.  But enough people are convinced any other solution would be government "death squads".  Just about every developed nation has something much better and even those system could use improvement .

I am still working at a corporation because of health insurance.  A funny situation happened two years ago. Daughter went to a hospital (covered by our insurane) for xrays.  Roughly 87 doctors rolled through to check on her.  4 months later once the bills finally start coming in, I had an $1800 bill for one doctor who was out of network. I fought it for 9 months before they threatened to send it to collections.

Now I ask everyone who comes into the room if they take "such and such" insurance.  Their usual response, you have to call our office, we don't handle that.  So now it is a lottery.  I just wait for months to see if I get an $1800 bill or a $200 bill.  This is after I hit my $8,000 family deductible.

And those for-profit companies are making money hand over fist.  Looks like a great business model when you can screw middle and upper middle class people who can afford it.

It must be profitable, we now have as many urgent care/quick care clinics as we do Walgreens/CVS stores.  They are building them on every corner.  They are replacing check cashing stores with these.

nolaegghead

Those urgent care clinics probably aren't in anyone's network either.

Ozzie_Isaac

nolaegghead said:

Those urgent care clinics probably aren't in anyone's network either.

They are like vets.  Cash on the barrel head.

We have started using a mobile Urgent Care service.  You call them, they take some info over the phone, then dispatch a mobile service to your house.  Last time they were at our house within 2 hrs and all they charged was $200.  I was shocked at how smooth it went.  Made me look into their business to see if they wanted investors.  Only thing they lacked was mobile x-ray, but that could be solved.  I have another friend who runs a mobile imaging business, he currently goes to clinics, but seems it could change to go to homes.

fishlessman

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

Eoin said:

nolaegghead said:

CPFC1905 said:

We've got 9 this year because we have a Queen but I assume those of an anti-monarchist leaning can work it if they want?     Likewise the fervent capitalists can work the one in early May?  

Usually 8 https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays  

Then there's the bonus day and half every year for civil servants, again thanks to Chief Liz.  

.....Big problem in the US is you're dependent on employers, if you're lucky, for health insurance.  It's super expensive if you don't have a job or you have to hang on until you're 65.....

This must be the biggest drag on your economy, that the system discourages small business and innovation by means of a healthcare system that makes it hard to leave salaried emloyment.

Yes.  It doesn't make sense for one because the current system of private coverage is extremely inefficient.  Almost as many people as those that do actual treatment and diagnosis are trying to figure out the nightmare of benefit eligibility, payment, coordination, etc.  John spent an insane amount of time on the phone dealing with some insurance refusal.  Some companies refuse just about everything and make you fight for your benefits.  It's a waste of everyone's time with lousy outcomes.  But enough people are convinced any other solution would be government "death squads".  Just about every developed nation has something much better and even those system could use improvement .

I am still working at a corporation because of health insurance.  A funny situation happened two years ago. Daughter went to a hospital (covered by our insurane) for xrays.  Roughly 87 doctors rolled through to check on her.  4 months later once the bills finally start coming in, I had an $1800 bill for one doctor who was out of network. I fought it for 9 months before they threatened to send it to collections.

Now I ask everyone who comes into the room if they take "such and such" insurance.  Their usual response, you have to call our office, we don't handle that.  So now it is a lottery.  I just wait for months to see if I get an $1800 bill or a $200 bill.  This is after I hit my $8,000 family deductible.

And those for-profit companies are making money hand over fist.  Looks like a great business model when you can screw middle and upper middle class people who can afford it.

It must be profitable, we now have as many urgent care/quick care clinics as we do Walgreens/CVS stores.  They are building them on every corner.  They are replacing check cashing stores with these.

and the walgreens around me are now adding  family care sections.  i wouldnt want to try counting all the places near me right now. oh, and blue cross is denying coverage as part of the course, i must be getting denied 3 or 4 times on every claim ive put in over the last year before they will payout. the staffing is out there as well, ive had appointments booked with doctors that havent been in places for 3 or more years.......

alaskanassasin

They are building a urgent care in town (a town that probably sees 1 legit new business a year). And a major hospital bought our community college to turn it into a medical building.

 

MasterC

For the new XL

Legume

The medical group that I get my healthcare through has setup a network of urgent care centers.  Obviously you don’t see your pcp, but it’s often the only option to be seen within a week.  By setting it up as urgent care, they get to tap into copay and reimbursement at the urgent care level vs ordinary care.

Ozzie_Isaac

Legume said:

The medical group that I get my healthcare through has setup a network of urgent care centers.  Obviously you don’t see your pcp, but it’s often the only option to be seen within a week.  By setting it up as urgent care, they get to tap into copay and reimbursement at the urgent care level vs ordinary care.

And they avoid the denial of claims from emergency care requirements.  We have fought those too, "that was not emergency care worthy, we won't pay".

Ummm, I am not a doctor, they were in severe pain and couldn't breath.  Seemed pretty damn emergency to me.  For those wondering, after a few go-rounds they paid their portion.

For those not in the US, my company pays $16k for my family, I pay another $9k, and I have a $8k deductible.  All of that gets paid before anything besides annual health check is covered.  Includes prescriptions too, all out of pocket until deductible.

So the insurance company gets  $25k before they have to do more than pay at most $500 for annual covered services.

Mark_B_Good

Legume said:

Also gonna stock up on electricity since that’s also going to be a problem.  I found a great deal on expired, original ray o vac D cells at the dollar tree.

I heard they gonna start taxing air.
Best stock up on that too, build a bigger home to capture as much air as you can.  Put it in bags, as many bags as you can find.

Mark_B_Good

Legume said:

kl8ton said:

nolaegghead said:

and you are correct, there's little evidence to suggest any over-the-counter probiotic is helpful.  So it's like almost all of the other homeopathic crap they sell

Probiotic is the new antioxidant. 

But will fecal transplant be the new superfood?

Already is. People just don't know it. That and bug protein. I mean, have you seen any grasshoppers lately? Where have they all gone .... hmmmm.

4TheGrillOfIt

MasterC said:

For the new XL

Love the Eggspander for the XL.  I also bought a half moon plancha and the extra rack.  

CPFC1905

Acn said:

What’s the 12th?  OPM has 11;
New Years
MLK
President’s
Memorial
Juneteenth
July 4th
Labor
Columbus
Veterans
Thanksgiving
Xmas

Egg-Fest

Canugghead

nolaegghead said:

Bullsh!t actually is a probiotic.  Truth.

Phage therapy.
https://www.amazon.ca/dp/0316418110/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_g_8J7RWWBRXDZJ62B482ER

MasterC

4TheGrillOfIt said:

MasterC said:

For the new XL

Love the Eggspander for the XL.  I also bought a half moon plancha and the extra rack.  

I went to get an conveggtor and ended up with the  half moons instead. 

Ozzie_Isaac

Acn said:

nolaegghead said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Weren’t we promised an Agree button for the holidays?  Well the holidays have come and gone my friends but here we are without an Agree button, AND I DON’T LIKE IT!

What holiday?  There are many many holidays.  If you live in England or France, pretty much every week had a holiday.

The US has 12 Federal holidays and France has 11 Public holidays. 

What’s the 12th?  OPM has 11;
New Years
MLK
President’s
Memorial
Juneteenth
July 4th
Labor
Columbus
Veterans
Thanksgiving
Xmas

In my town the kids get "Rodeo Break" also.  A week in February when La Fiesta de los Vaqueros is held.

nolaegghead

We get Mardi Gras. Not many know it's actually a federal holiday

Eoin

nolaegghead said:

JohnInCarolina said:

nolaegghead said:

Makes sense to just give everyone a couple floating days so they can pick whatever magical celebration they want rather than hard-code one or another religion's holidays down.

I would like to AGREE with this post, but I CANNOT, because that is NOT one of the options available!

You can go old school and quote the entire fckn thing and then type a:

+1

(also great way to bump up your post count)

+1

Acn

Ozzie_Isaac said:

Acn said:

nolaegghead said:

Ozzie_Isaac said:

JohnInCarolina said:

Weren’t we promised an Agree button for the holidays?  Well the holidays have come and gone my friends but here we are without an Agree button, AND I DON’T LIKE IT!

What holiday?  There are many many holidays.  If you live in England or France, pretty much every week had a holiday.

The US has 12 Federal holidays and France has 11 Public holidays. 

What’s the 12th?  OPM has 11;
New Years
MLK
President’s
Memorial
Juneteenth
July 4th
Labor
Columbus
Veterans
Thanksgiving
Xmas

In my town the kids get "Rodeo Break" also.  A week in February when La Fiesta de los Vaqueros is held.

Yeah, I know there are bunches of local holidays, in Maine I always got Patriots Day growing up, and kids in the northern counties would get 2-3 weeks in September to harvest potatoes.  In MD, all the local counties here observe Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah if they fall on school days; these are the 11 observed by the federal govt.

Ozzie_Isaac

Eoin said:

nolaegghead said:

JohnInCarolina said:

nolaegghead said:

Makes sense to just give everyone a couple floating days so they can pick whatever magical celebration they want rather than hard-code one or another religion's holidays down.

I would like to AGREE with this post, but I CANNOT, because that is NOT one of the options available!

You can go old school and quote the entire fckn thing and then type a:

+1

(also great way to bump up your post count)

+1

^^^^^ x1000

Eoin

alaskanassasin said:

They are building a urgent care in town (a town that probably sees 1 legit new business a year). And a major hospital bought our community college to turn it into a medical building.

 

That 18% of GDP you guys pay for healthcare doesn't spend itself.

nolaegghead

Eoin said:

alaskanassasin said:

They are building a urgent care in town (a town that probably sees 1 legit new business a year). And a major hospital bought our community college to turn it into a medical building.

 

That 18% of GDP you guys pay for healthcare doesn't spend itself.

Right?  it's crazy.  Also, people will spend like a million bucks to keep their brain dead 90 year old grandmother alive for another few weeks.  Meanwhile we have truckers and waiters growing old with zero preventative maintanence and if they live long enough for medicare it costs a fortune to fix what would have normally been preventable.

FarmingPhD

Google nest officially installed.  Didn’t order the trim kit not realizing how tiny this thing is.

QDude

nolaegghead said:

and you are correct, there's little evidence to suggest any over-the-counter probiotic is helpful.  So it's like almost all of the other homeopathic crap they sell

This ranks right up there with the ridiculous IV treatments that are being pushed by companies that say we need to be rehydated!  Total scam.  Drink a Gaterade or water if you need to be hydrated.

Legume

QDude said:

nolaegghead said:

and you are correct, there's little evidence to suggest any over-the-counter probiotic is helpful.  So it's like almost all of the other homeopathic crap they sell

This ranks right up there with the ridiculous IV treatments that are being pushed by companies that say we need to be rehydated!  Total scam.  Drink a Gaterade or water if you need to be hydrated.

I thought that was mainly for the hangover crowd.

GregW

Ozzie_Isaac said:

nolaegghead said:

Eoin said:

nolaegghead said:

CPFC1905 said:

We've got 9 this year because we have a Queen but I assume those of an anti-monarchist leaning can work it if they want?     Likewise the fervent capitalists can work the one in early May?  

Usually 8 https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays  

Then there's the bonus day and half every year for civil servants, again thanks to Chief Liz.  

.....Big problem in the US is you're dependent on employers, if you're lucky, for health insurance.  It's super expensive if you don't have a job or you have to hang on until you're 65.....

This must be the biggest drag on your economy, that the system discourages small business and innovation by means of a healthcare system that makes it hard to leave salaried emloyment.

Yes.  It doesn't make sense for one because the current system of private coverage is extremely inefficient.  Almost as many people as those that do actual treatment and diagnosis are trying to figure out the nightmare of benefit eligibility, payment, coordination, etc.  John spent an insane amount of time on the phone dealing with some insurance refusal.  Some companies refuse just about everything and make you fight for your benefits.  It's a waste of everyone's time with lousy outcomes.  But enough people are convinced any other solution would be government "death squads".  Just about every developed nation has something much better and even those system could use improvement .

I am still working at a corporation because of health insurance.  A funny situation happened two years ago. Daughter went to a hospital (covered by our insurane) for xrays.  Roughly 87 doctors rolled through to check on her.  4 months later once the bills finally start coming in, I had an $1800 bill for one doctor who was out of network. I fought it for 9 months before they threatened to send it to collections.

Now I ask everyone who comes into the room if they take "such and such" insurance.  Their usual response, you have to call our office, we don't handle that.  So now it is a lottery.  I just wait for months to see if I get an $1800 bill or a $200 bill.  This is after I hit my $8,000 family deductible.

When my kids we young, the pediatrician would always ask if they had any allergies before writing them a prescription, my standard answer was always "expensive drugs" 
Not in the same league as surprise bills.

nolaegghead

Picked up a used Epson Stylus Pro 3880 photo printer, used with a few problems.  Craigslist.  Woman is a pro photographer.  Talked her down to $40 from $100.  If I can clean the print head, the feed issue is no problem and it will be a steal .  Or I’ll be out 40 bucks

nolaegghead

17” x 22” max print size 

Botch

FarmingPhD said:

Google nest officially installed.  Didn’t order the trim kit not realizing how tiny this thing is.

A dab of toothpaste and you're golden.  

fishlessman

FarmingPhD said:

Google nest officially installed.  Didn’t order the trim kit not realizing how tiny this thing is.

indoor 70 degrees.....is it summer already

Langner91

FarmingPhD said:

Google nest officially installed.  Didn’t order the trim kit not realizing how tiny this thing is.

The two holes above your thermostat don't bother me as much as the fact that you mounted it sideways!

Enjoy it!