• Mission Accomplished, madness postponed.

    Today my coding deficiencies were overcome and the freedom loving people of the world rejoiced! It was an Alleluia Chorus kind of moment. I walked over to the office laser printer and time slowed to a crawl. As the page began to emerge, face down, I reached for one corner and curled it upwards for a peek. MY GOD, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WORKS! I forcibly removed the page from the printer, clutched it in two hands, and raised it above my head for all to admire. I felt like Charlton Heston in the Ten Commandments.** It is amazing what a little success will do for your mood – not to mention your ego.

    ** Prior to his gun nut days. I also have to admit that I never saw the Ten Commandments, though it seems like Charlie should have – at some point – hoisted the old stone tablets above his head in triumph.

  • I have a confession to make.

    The other night I fell asleep in our spare room. You know, the one which the term “bedroom” uniquely applies? I woke up around 9:30 p.m. and moved into our bedroom to settle down for the night.

    I noticed a difference between the two beds. The infomercial bed was more comfortable. Please don’t tell Cheryl.

  • This is the part where I complain about something.

    At what point does an HMO become more expensive than a PPO? My employer’s PPO plan charges co-pays for doctor’s visits and prescription drugs. They charge a percentage of contracted expenses for other medical services, up to a yearly maximum – after which they cover 100%. The HMO charges co-pays for doctor’s visits, drugs, and hospital stays. It doesn’t charge anything for other medical services, but the devil is in the “pre-authorization”.

    The catch is that recently the PPO co-pays have been cheaper than the HMO co-pays. The lesson here is that you can see a doctor and get drugged up on the cheap with the PPO, so long as you stay away from the other services. Who would have thunk it? On the other hand, the HMO doesn’t really want to pay for the other services either, so what you don’t pay in money you pay in sweat equity. Can you say “I want to speak to your supervisor?” How about “letter of appeal?” Maybe “state board review?” If you can’t, you have no business being in an HMO.

    When is open enrollment again?

    Does it make you angry that you could have been reading something else all this time?