Getting a bill for an ER visit is just not a thing that should happen. It's an emergency!

At the very least you should get one bill and it should be in-network or not, not a slew of bills all with their own insurance network associations. I already paid this physicans group a couple grand ages ago, after they threatened to send a bill I never received to a collection agency. Now a year later, I'm getting contacted by a collection agency over some other bill I never received or some adjustment to the charges I was never informed about? WTF? How can this be fucking legal?

That's ridiculous. None of that should work like that!

I hate our medical system so very much.

Gud, if it's not that much, I guess you could consider the value of your time and if it's worth fighting them over it. I dunno: I hate to see them get away with soaking people, but your peace of mind is worth a lot.

I don't think I could fight them, after I contacted them and gave them my address so they would actually send me a bill, they kept sending bills with different amounts. I don't think anyone could determine what amount was actually supposed to be paid.

I think if I ever got involved in politics it would be for a ballot initiative to make it that out-of-network third-party providers in hospitals had to negotiate their fee with the insurance company/hospital if the hospital was in-network for the patient and the patient paid one bill. I think some states have something like that.

Good to see you, Gud! Even during a bad stretch you are a welcome sight here.

Rick - I can't even with people arguing that in-person teaching can be replaced by online. It's ridiculous. You need a seminar structure with the teacher carefully/subtly guiding the conversation, pulling people in, engaging the room. It's vastly different. There are so many more cues given off by both student and teacher in person.

I mean, I love stand-up comedy specials, but even a pretty-good comedian in person is generally so much funnier. Because it's all about timing and they can modulate in real time to the room.

Teaching a large class on Zoom is like being the DJ in absentia for a party you can't attend. You just aren't present enough to feel the room, to see what's working, and to move the experience forward for the participants.

Rick, I don't teach large classes, but wow — this really hit home for me.

Gud, that's so annoying. Agree that medical billing and insurance are RIDICULOUS

Jesse, I would actually recommend buying two of the smaller instead of one of the bigger anyway--that way you only open one at a time and it lasts longer?

Emergency room bills are the worst. They get to decide how to change after service is delivered.

Tried to buy potting soil today, but the enormous line discouraged trying at all. Bummer!

Hey, tomorrow is my 22nd wedding anniversary. Add the seven years of living in sin and it's 29 years of cohabitation. How cool is that? Nerd love rocks.

Happy anniversary, Katerina!

Gud, I really love seeing your pixels here, too. And I'm sorry for the ER bill. There's an expression in Hebrew that can be translated as "works method" - literally "successful method" (shitat mtz'lee'ah). Comes from a joke about a restaurant that's charging extra for "works". When asked why, the answer is "because it sometimes works" (that is, charging extra anyone who doesn't bother question what is the "works" article, knowing it'll cost time and effort to figure it out). It's a scam and it's terrible. I'm sorry it's happening to you.

Teaching a large class on Zoom is like being the DJ in absentia for a party you can't attend. You just aren't present enough to feel the room, to see what's working, and to move the experience forward for the participants.

Not a teacher but a student, and I felt it hard two days ago when I had to present a project. I have no idea how you're doing it. It's exhausting, just hoping everyone gets what you say without any human feedback.