Letters to the Editor
KitchenGirl
Published Letters: 642 Editor's Choice: 39
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Weird typo, let's try again!
[Read the article: The marriage industrial complex]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It was low-key, homey, friendly, and instead of spending all their money on within walking distance.
Don't know what happened there, that was weird. What I meant to say was this:
Instead of spending all their money on a destination, a banquet hall, extravagant flowers, and a one-time-only dress, they blew the dosh on a great party for their friends: great food, a great band, and a discount rate on a hotel within walking distance.
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Third try
[Read the article: The marriage industrial complex]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Jesus! Sorry to take up room, but I feel like I did this girl a disservice:
the catering crew broke down the a 'destination', banquet hall, ridiculous flowers, etc. they blew the dosh to throw a bitchin' party for their friends and family: great band, great food, discount rate on a hotel wedding chairs and set up the dinner tables and buffet while the cocktail hour and photos were happening). It was low-key, homey, friendly, and instead of spending all their money on within walking distance. Totally amazing, and memorable because the entire focus was on the guests and the party, and the real and palpable devotion between the bride and groom.
Should have been this:
...the catering crew broke down the wedding chairs and set up the dinner tables and buffet while the cocktail hour and photos were happening). It was low-key, homey, friendly, and instead of spending all their money on within walking distance. Totally amazing, and memorable because the entire focus was on the guests and the party, and the real and palpable devotion between the bride and groom.
Sorry, kids.
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Family Guy
[Read the article: I Like to Watch]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I love "Family Guy". LOVE IT.
It is, I suspect, one of those shows that might only be funny to people reared up in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. I talked to an Irish friend who adores The Simpsons and South Park, and he didn't get why I thought FG was wicked friggin' funny.
Oh, and the town name is spelled Quahog. I'm not doing that to be pedantic, it's actually a type of clam and you'll probably see then name written out on menus on the Cape and the Islands when listing chowder. Spelled "kway-hawg" pronounced "ko-hawg".
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Self-pay discounts
[Read the article: "Sicko"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's illegal to charge different prices for different patients, based on their health coverage (or lack thereof.) What winds up happening is that physicians mark up their costs to accomodate those rare beasts like full indemnity plans that will pay 100% of all costs. Every other insurance plan contracts a rate per procedure/visit type with the physician, and what the plan doesn't cover, the physician has to write off as if the money never existed.
So let's say four patients go see a doctor for exactly the same thing, an annual physical. The doctor charges $200 for the visit. Patient A has a full indemnity plan, patient B has a PPO, patient C is on Medicare, patient D is self-pay. This is what the doctor will get paid for each visit:
Patient A - $200 from the insurance, no contactual adjustment (writeoff).
Patient B - $90 from the insurance, $20 copay from the patient, $90 contractual adjustment.
Patient C - $30 from Medicare, $7 patient copay, $163 contractual adjustment.
Patient D - $200 from the patient.
What's the lesson here? This: *if you are a self-pay patient* inquire ahead of time about self-pay discounts or adjustments. Physicians' offices will almost always strick a bargain with their self pay patients for one simple reason: it's cash in hand. All of those insurance payments above come with a price: the cost of the biller's services, billing software, and frequently indecipherable and incorrect denials from the insurance company that can drag payment for a simple service out by months. On the other hand, if the doctors' office knows that they can put money in the bank at the end of the day, they'll cut you a bargain, probably around what the average payment (total -- insurance plus copay) from an insured patient. You'll pay more out of pocket ($100 versus a measly $10 copayment) but the actual "cost" will be roughly the same.
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Hybrid bikes for commuting
[Read the article: A bicycle built for a better world]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Trek and Specialized both make supension-mounted 'hybrid' bikes (I think Specialized refers to theirs as a "comfort bike") made for riding on city streets and sidewalks. The handlebars sit up higher so you're more upright, the tires are thicker than a road bike (but not as chunky as a mountain bike) so you don't have to worry about wiping out on gravel or sand, and best of all the seat is on shocks so you can bike over cracks and bumps in the pavement with minimal discomfort to your delicate parts. I got "last year's model" for $300, and I've pimped it up a little since then with a rear rack, lights, and fenders/mudguards.
The only real downside is that they're heavy, so carrying my bike up three flights of stairs (not allowed to bring it on the elevator at work) can be kind of a pain, even if it did earn me the admiration of one of the developers at my office who said I was "totally hardcore" as I schlepped it up one-armed with my backpack in the other hand.