Should do's . . .

As I recollect this is the beginning of the John Hopkins Glacier. It is so dirty in this part because it has been scraping down the mountains on it's journey to the Bay. It is magnificent.

Two things that I should be doing today and I have absolutely no interest in doing them. The house could use a good dusting and vacuuming and I've got to steel myself to call Stirling and Stirling, our medical insurance to try to understand why they don't pay anything towards Grampa's doctor's visits. It's driving me bonkers. I do believe that I've got it figured out but it still annoys the hell out of me. Since Puppy's Pop goes to the VA in Providence for most medical problems and since the VA is a federal program and since Medicare is also a federal program, one federal program cannot pay another federal program. I've been told by an administrator at the VA that this is the case with us. So . . . we don't dare drop the medigap insurance we have with Stirling and Stirling because if there were an emergency and we couldn't get to the Providence VA we wouldn't have medical coverage. The VA administrator said that if there were an emergency situation we would have to ask to be transferred from the public hospital as soon as possible and maybe the VA would pay for the emergency service rendered at the public hospital and maybe not. What a mess. I suppose I should just get on the phone and make sure I understand this policy correctly. As I understand it Stirling and Stirling pays what Medicare does not pay and Medicare only pays 80% of the hospital and or doctor's fees after they screw around with refusing to pay most of what is billed. Therefore after a $250 deductible, Medicare pays it's 80% of whatever they deem reasonable and then Stirling and Stirling kicks in it's 20%. So if Medicare doesn't kick in for Puppy's Pop because he goes to the VA Stirling and Stirling does all the figuring as to what Medicare would have paid if we had gone to a private doctor. Then they kick in their 20% after the deductible and Medicare's 80% had theoretically been paid. So . . . I guess that's how come they don't pay anything! Eureka! I think I've got it!

So . . . off to the phone and cleaning I go.

Quote: The less of government the better, if society be kept in peace and prosperity. ---- Channing