I could probably pretty easily blog everyday about the idiots that I share the road with. This morning I turned on the radio and the first thing I heard is there were no less than 5 accidents in the Salt Lake Valley because it was raining. I only have one question: WTF Utah drivers?
This happens every year when it first snows, there are a million crashes and people freak out and drive 30 every where they go but there is no snow yet! Even if there were snow I don't understand why this happens, do people forget how to drive in the snow in the short 5 months we didn't have any? We live in Utah people, it snows every year and the warnings are the same: slow down, give yourself plenty of time to get to work and make sure you have good tires. So why are we still crashing into each other at alarming rates?!!!
I just don't get it.
While I am on the topic of drivers (and to spare you another rant later on) I might as well address a few other issues. People, moving over from the far left lane when someone wants to pass you isn't just the nice thing to do it is the law! The other day on the radio a girl called in and was complaining because she got a ticket for going 69 in the fast lane. Newsflash stupid girl, not moving over and impeding traffic is breaking the law just like speeding is. Not only are you likely causing a traffic jam because you refuse to move over you are also creating a safety hazard because other cars are weaving in and out of traffic to get around you.
I understand that people (me included) are way too impatient and should just slow down and enjoy the ride but let's be real that isn't going to happen anytime soon. Even if 99 out of 100 people were trying to speed past you for no good reason other than they wanted too, wouldn't you feel bad if that 1 person was trying to get to the hospital before their loved passed away and you prevented them from getting there because you refuse to move over?
I feel like every problem we have in driving, including most accidents, could be prevented by everyone taking two simple steps.
1. Pay Attention: put your cell phone down, stop trying to use your fancy navigation console and program your radio stations and just drive. If someone comes up behind you move over, if your exit is coming up don't wait until the last second to change lanes and then cut someone off and if the roads are slick or snowy slow down.
2. Don't drive like a dick on purpose: everyone accidentally cuts someone off (mostly due to not paying attention as mentioned above) but there is no reason to be an ass on purpose. If you refuse to get over when I want to pass you don't speed up when I do try to pass you, if there is a traffic jam don't change lanes a million times you are making the situation worse and if we are in a line of traffic riding my butt isn't going to help, I have no where to go so back off!
There I am done with my yearly rant about drivers! Drive safe everyone, especially on your way to Thanksgiving festivities!
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Friday, November 15, 2013
Something is very wrong here
I am pretty sure there is one thing everyone in America can agree on: the health care system is broken. I don't know what the solution is and I don't know enough about the Affordable Care Act to know if it will help or hurt but I do know something has to be done.
This past few months has been an endless parade of doctors appointment, antibiotics and IVs as I have tried to get a very stubborn UTI infection to go away.
When I was first told I would have to do IV antibiotics I knew it would be expensive but I was in no way prepared for the bills that would come later.
In total I received 24 days of IV antibiotics (the first round of 10 days didn't work) and the total my insurance was billed for those 24 days, not including the numerous IV starts I had or visits to the doctor was $6,676.26. I could buy a car for that much!!! And less than half of it was my actual medicine, which cost about $75 per day. The other $200 a day came from "supplies". When I called to find out why on earth I was being charged so much for two saline syringes, an alcohol wipe and cap every day the answer I got was astonishing.
I was told that they was this particular company bills is on a daily patient average. That means patients like me who are using the bare minimum of supplies are paying for other patients who are using mass amounts of supplies (and probably more expensive ones too) because the daily price for service is based on an average.
I understand that this is how insurance works for the most part, everyone pays into the pool and then if you need it you can use and if not someone else gets to use your money but I couldn't believe that I was being charged $200 a day for supplies I wasn't using.
In addition to the cost of the IV medicine and ridiculously expensive supplies I had six IVs put in, four visits to my doctor (one long, 3 just for urine samples), a CT Scan and other Xrays done, total cost $13,560.72.
It seems so outrageous! That is almost six months of income for me. I am very grateful that I have insurance and luckily my cost is much, much lower than that but it seems so so crazy to me that the services I received can cost that much. I was watching the news last night and heard that on average in Utah the cost to have C-section delivery costs less than this, how is that even possible? I didn't stay in the hospital, I didn't have surgery, I didn't give birth to a child that needs cared for. I gave myself my own medicine at home everyday, I kept my IVs in as long a physically possible so I could have less of them and I didn't let them give me anymore "supplies" unless I actually needed them.
Every time I got to my doctors office to do a urine sample my insurance is charge $61.99. That is 60 bucks for me to pee in a cup and them to stick a piece of paper in it and read the results. The actual urine culture to decide which medicine will hopefully work to get rid of my infection is another $156. It just blows my mind.
Again I am really grateful that I have insurance, even if I do have a really high deductible, because I couldn't imagine facing more than $13,000 worth of medical bills.
Something has to be done about the way medicine is practiced and payed for in the country. I just wish I knew what the solution was and how I could help!!
This past few months has been an endless parade of doctors appointment, antibiotics and IVs as I have tried to get a very stubborn UTI infection to go away.
When I was first told I would have to do IV antibiotics I knew it would be expensive but I was in no way prepared for the bills that would come later.
In total I received 24 days of IV antibiotics (the first round of 10 days didn't work) and the total my insurance was billed for those 24 days, not including the numerous IV starts I had or visits to the doctor was $6,676.26. I could buy a car for that much!!! And less than half of it was my actual medicine, which cost about $75 per day. The other $200 a day came from "supplies". When I called to find out why on earth I was being charged so much for two saline syringes, an alcohol wipe and cap every day the answer I got was astonishing.
I was told that they was this particular company bills is on a daily patient average. That means patients like me who are using the bare minimum of supplies are paying for other patients who are using mass amounts of supplies (and probably more expensive ones too) because the daily price for service is based on an average.
I understand that this is how insurance works for the most part, everyone pays into the pool and then if you need it you can use and if not someone else gets to use your money but I couldn't believe that I was being charged $200 a day for supplies I wasn't using.
In addition to the cost of the IV medicine and ridiculously expensive supplies I had six IVs put in, four visits to my doctor (one long, 3 just for urine samples), a CT Scan and other Xrays done, total cost $13,560.72.
It seems so outrageous! That is almost six months of income for me. I am very grateful that I have insurance and luckily my cost is much, much lower than that but it seems so so crazy to me that the services I received can cost that much. I was watching the news last night and heard that on average in Utah the cost to have C-section delivery costs less than this, how is that even possible? I didn't stay in the hospital, I didn't have surgery, I didn't give birth to a child that needs cared for. I gave myself my own medicine at home everyday, I kept my IVs in as long a physically possible so I could have less of them and I didn't let them give me anymore "supplies" unless I actually needed them.
Every time I got to my doctors office to do a urine sample my insurance is charge $61.99. That is 60 bucks for me to pee in a cup and them to stick a piece of paper in it and read the results. The actual urine culture to decide which medicine will hopefully work to get rid of my infection is another $156. It just blows my mind.
Again I am really grateful that I have insurance, even if I do have a really high deductible, because I couldn't imagine facing more than $13,000 worth of medical bills.
Something has to be done about the way medicine is practiced and payed for in the country. I just wish I knew what the solution was and how I could help!!
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