My health insurance keeps denying claims for things they do cover. My physical therapy got denied, with the statement on the denial that they don't cover congenital conditions. Issue 1: it's genetic, not congenital. Issue 2: nowhere on any of their zillions of pages of documentation do they say anything whatsoever about not covering congenital or genetic conditions. Took several hours on the phone to sort that one out. (My mom does the insurance phone calls. She has more time than me, and she understands insurance lingo much better than me, so she knows when to insist on talking to a supervisor when the person on the phone says that something isn't covered.)

Former White House political adviser Karl Rove was deeply involved in the firing of a U.S. attorney in New Mexico, according to White House e-mails and transcripts of closed-door testimony released Tuesday.

Yglesias? Funny thing - apparently he's also the attorney Tom Cruise's character was based on in A Few Good Men.

Oh, yeah, that's the thing. You never really know how good your insurance is until you have to use it for something expensive.

Yeah, the fact that I can't tell you how much my surgery was because I never got a bill? Priceless.

My health insurance keeps denying claims for things they do cover.

Oh, yeah, not paying for things until you dispute the charge at least once is a classic American insurance company move.

So, is Rahmbo the left-wing Chuck Norris?

The insurance I have through work seems pretty good, at least for my level of general health: $20 copays for office visits and it at least pays most of test costs. (The only bill that's made my eyebrows zoom up was for the emergency room visit when I blew out my knee - that was one fucking expensive gel bandage, apparently!) In addition, my family's GP is acceptable to the plan, and I wouldn't give him up if I had any other options, including digging ditches for premium money.

Pretty much Erika. Here's a sampling from one site. [link] The difference is with Rahm they're all (basically) true.

RAHM EMANUEL SENT A ROTTING FISH TO A POLLSTER HE DIDN'T LIKE

WHEN DONORS OFFER RAHM EMANUEL $5,000 CHECKS, HE HANGS THE FUCK UP ON THEM

RAHM EMANUEL'S LITTLE BROTHER ARI IS THE REAL-LIFE INSPIRATION FOR ARI ON ENTOURAGE

RAHM EMANUEL DECLARED HIS ENEMIES "DEAD" WHILE REPEATEDLY STABBING A STEAK KNIFE INTO THE TABLE

RAHM EMANUEL TELLS PEOPLE TO FUCK OFF BY SHOWING THEM THE SPACE WHERE HIS RIGHT MIDDLE FINGER USED TO BE

My health care is actually very good, considering - three years ago I had a stroke and spent three days in the critical care unit. I had a CT scan, an MRI, an echocardiogram, a trans-esophegal echocardiogram, an EEG, and for the first 24 hours hourly BP checks. I SAW the bill - $19K - but didn't have to pay anything.

I'm lucky - I know it.

I want what the ex's father got in Spain.

Massive heart attack. Heart kerblewie. (That was a horrible phone call to listen to one half of in panicky Spanish.) Heart transplant or die.

A donor organ was found in about 3 weeks. (Tragically, youngsters drive stupid-fast over there.)

The whole operation - including medical transport from the Canaries to Madrid and extended apartment rental for Alfredo's mother, who was going to be next to her husband OR ELSE - and all aftercare:

Free. State-controlled. That was 7 years ago, he's doing just fine thanks, and it has never, ever cost them anything except time (and considerable pain...well, and Senior Mendez hates being told "you may not drive - too stressful, you'll blow out your NEW heart"...so a fair bit of crank on his part.)

I want that.

I can't even begin to tell you how baffling I find this whole debate. I am so far to one side of this debate that I can only sit in the corner muttering, clutching my single payer health care close, and not even thinking about medical expenses.