Pie day will always be sad because not everyone will have pie. It's bittersweet that way.

I currently pay $420/mth for a "non group" plan with an HMO (which my raise pretty much covered). It's a good HMO and I've had fantastic coverage. However, I'm also in the highest plan of co payments ($50/$30/$15), which means my current prescribed meds cost me $110/mth (which is one reason I want to go off one, it's the most expensive and would bring my co pays down to $60/mth). The last time I got an antibiotic I paid out of pocket because it was $12 and my co pay would be $15.

Holy Dinah! To me that's crazy expensive.

Hugs universal health care even tighter. Smaller hugs to my supplemental insurance through work.

Have you ever had an appointment where it feels like the doctor isn't making eye contact with you, even conversational eye contact?

I've had that experience, at an after hours clinic. After barely listening to me and barely looking at the chart that had ALLERGY: PENICILLIN written in red the doctor said something to the effect of "I'll prescribe pencillin and we'll see how you do." I remember the blank look he gave me as I pointed out I was allergic.

As for President Shrub. He has to talk about domestic issues because what else is he going to say? "We'll have a surge in the summer, but that's not an escalation." And repeat "9/11 Bin Laden" over and over like some bad techno mix?

My health plan is good in that I have $0 co-pay, $750 deductible (always met, as you can imagine) and $500 health reimbursement account. Oh, and an out-of-pocket maximum that's pretty low too, something I always meet before the end of the year.

My old vision plan was great, but I'm off it now since I'm unemployed and have very little need for opticians. The dental plan I'm still on, just because, is okay (and now that I think of it, is part of the ~$500 I mentioned above)--I end up paying $14/cleaning out of pocket.

I remember the blank look he gave me as I pointed out I was allergic.

The blank look really gets me. I guess if they were in any way contrite it might read like accepting they'd done something careless or sub par, but honestly. Allergy to penicillin? So sorry to be keeping you awake, doc.

"We'll have a surge in the summer, but that's not an escalation."

I think they're trying to get away from "surge" and moving toward "augmentation." Both of which have very porny associations.

Sue - it is insane! Without the insurance my meds would be too expensive. There's no generic for 2 of them and I don't think there will be a generic any time in the future. Heck, half the time I go to get a refill I find out they are out of one because it's so popular.

Steve Martin on the down side of paradise: [link]

Megan, did I do that? I'm sorry. That would be my distracted typing.

No, it was my evil twin Cindy. But, of course, she edited to make me look craxy.

David, I read an article that was on Yahoo where a senator complained about Pelosi and Democrats using the term "surge" in a statement they released because "surge" was partisan. I'm pretty sure the President used that but I guess once the President's handlers decide on a new word to use instead of "debacle" the old word suddenly is liberal and America hating.