Another reason to be in favor of health care reform

Without getting into the details of my medical condition, last week, my doctor made a diagnosis, and wrote me a prescription for meds that she said should get me back to normal. So, I took that Rx to the local CVS, and planned to pick it up later that day.

I went to pick it up, and they said there was a problem - my insurance wouldn't cover it without getting a prior authorization from my Doctor. So I filled out a form, and they faxed that to the doctor. I then talked to the nurse on the phone, and she said, that they would contact my carrier directly.

Then I called CVS, and they said that they had not yet gotten the okay, but to call again in the AM. I had to fly up and back to Chicago the next day, so they get an extra day to get this done.

On Wednesday, I called the CVS, and they said that they had heard from the carrier, but that they were not going to authorize payment for it at the dosage and frequency level the doctor had ordered. I called the doctor, and she was steamed. She said she would call the carrier directly, and to hold tight.

Thursday comes, and per CVS, the carrier is now saying that they will cover a lower dosage/lower frequency. I'm not sure that this is a good idea, and I call the doctor again. She is very angry with the carrier by now, as they had told her that they would. She calls them again, and tells them that she is the doctor, not them - and the meds (75 mg, twice a day) is what I need for the treatment to be effective. They say that they will get back to her on Friday.

Friday comes and goes, and they still have not given the okay. So I head out of town to visit with some friends for the weekend.

Monday, I call over and the insurance company has offered a "compromise" of one 150mg pill per day, but that jacks my copay from $80 to $150! The doctor apologizes, as I may need to be on this medication for years. She does tell me that I should buy a "pill splitter" and take 1/2 a pill twice a day.

Today, I head to the CVS, where I'm about to cough up the $150, when the pharmacist reminds me of a program that Fulton County has, that gets me a 50% discount on my copay. They apply that, and I'm down to $75 - which ain't great, but beats $150 on a monthly basis.

SOOOOO, with all of that said, I have been hearing again and again in the health care debate that people are scared of "a bureaucrat being between the patient and the doctor". Well, lemme point out the obvious - there already IS a bureaucrat between you and your doctor - and they work for your insurance company.

I pay for my insurance directly - as a small business owner I feel that it is a requirement to have, you know, just in case. But even so, I do NOT feel that I nor my doctor are in control of my health care. Some faceless insurance drone looking at a spreadsheet is.

A second point to note - you know that 50% discount? The benefit of a GOVERNMENT PROGRAM, and that part took 60 seconds to resolve - not the week and a day that Blue Cross and Blue Shield put me through because they didn't want to cover the costs of the meds that my doctor said that I needed.

So, those who are against reform - perhaps you can explain why this craptastic system is worth preserving, and why a government option would signal the end-times.

This is just one example of the problem - but it certainly impacted me. I doubt that I am the only one with a story like this, though.

The new and improved Nasty Nest web site

I'm happy to announce that Nasty Nest 2.0 has been unleashed. It still has message boards but it is far more of a "Facebook" experience now.

There is also an "iPhone enhanced" version available at www.nastynest.net/m.

So, if you like the Atlanta Thrashers, or hockey in general, I encourage you to give it a spin.

Thrashers re-sign Marty Reasoner

I'm very glad to report that the Atlanta Thrashers have finally re-signed a key component of the team, center Marty Reasoner. He fit in well with the team last season, and won the "player's player" award at the end of the 2009 season.



With the 4th pick in the upcoming draft, Atlanta plans to continue the youth movement, but it is great to have a couple of vets on board to help the younger guys develop.

Windows 7 is coming - are you ready to be annoyed?

Okay, maybe not annoyed, but after the stinking turd that is/was Vista and the many flavors that it came in, has Microsoft made it any easier to decide which (if any, Linux being a solid alternative unless you need to run specific apps) is the right one for you?

I'm not betting the house, but there is a glimmer of hope, as noted here.

Sarah Palin to Pen Autobiography...

This should be interesting. Given how Sarah Palin tends to mangle the language when speaking, one can only wonder how she'll do with the written word - especially at book length!

"There's been so much written about and spoken about in the mainstream media and in the anonymous blogosphere world, that this will be a wonderful, refreshing chance for me to get to tell my story, that a lot of people have asked about, unfiltered," Palin told the Associated Press. "Being a voracious reader, I read a lot today and have read a lot growing up. And having that journalism degree, all of that, will be a great assistance for me in writing this book, talking about the challenges and the joys, balancing the work and parenting, and, in my case, work means running the state."

Oh boy! Who wouldn't want to read 300 pages of that kind of poetic prose?

The Other Shoe Dropped

Hi all...

Sorry for the lack of blogging activity, but I was busy dealing with other stuff. Really...

Anyway, just saw the news that longtime GOP Sen. Arlen Specter has jumped to the Democratic party. I have mixed feelings about this, as I always admired him as one of the few voices of reason in the GOP. But, on the other hand, since I'm a proud Democrat, I love the idea of a filibuster-proof majority for my guys....

Here's what he had to say today:

"Since my election in 1980, as part of the Reagan Big Tent, the Republican Party has moved far to the right," Specter said in a statement posted by his office on PoliticsPA.com.

"Last year, more than 200,000 Republicans in Pennsylvania changed their registration to become Democrats. I now find my political philosophy more in line with Democrats than Republicans."

I find this interesting, as I live in Georgia - where you can only find many Democrats in the Atlanta area - and over the past 10 or so years, I've seen a lot of Georgia Politicians jump to the GOP.

So, is this the beginning of a trend? As a progressive, I'd like to think so, but as a realist, I don't see it changing much in the South.

End Times for the AJC?

Things are tough in the newspaper industry. More people are going online for their news, and subscriptions to the print editions are going down across the board.

As an Atlanta resident, I've subscribed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution ever since I moved to the area in 1992. Over the past few years, though, the paper has gotten thinner and thinner. The business section is now merged with the A section news, arts and living have been combined, and they are relying more and more on wire services to fill content, rather than replace out-going reporters.

So, today, after hearing of more newspapers across the country shutting down or moving to online only modes, I wonder when this will happen to the AJC. My heart hopes not for a long while, but my head tells me "pretty soon".

I know some people don't like the AJC - they claim it is too liberal or whatever, but while I will agree that the editorial board is more liberal than conservative, please tell me how that impacts reporting on the Atlanta Thrashers or a piece about an upcoming festival? If we lose the AJC, who will hold our local elected leaders accountable? (Please don't say bloggers, we're not reporters for the most part.)

So, is there anything to be done? Sure, you could get a subscription to the paper - the more subscribers, the more people will want to advertise - and advertising is the life blood of a paper. The subscription fees pale in comparison, but they are needed to make advertising a viable marketing outlet.

Stay tuned - this could get ugly...