http://www.theksbwchannel.com/politics/14831286/detail.html

I'm sorry, this is more of a personal reason for posting this, but it makes me sick to think of all the bullsh** my dad and countless others have gone through (my dad's cousin got a settlement six years after he was injured, but blew his brains out because the pain and depression were just too much) just to get a piddling result, and these asshats are making sure their board members are getting millions of dollars in "mislabelled" funds and "administrative fees", not to mention the projects that never went through. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH.

I can feel my blood pressure rising when I think of how my dad has suffered for FIVE GODDAMNED YEARS with no relief for his back because the surgery that SHOULD HAVE been done within the first six months of getting hurt was never approved, so now he's permanently disabled. I just want to beat the crap out of these people for saying he's "NOT disabled", therefore, he doesn't deserve jacksh**, even though he can barely walk and is on all kinds of meds. And now knowing this, I just want to hurt someone really bad, like they caused my dad to be hurt. Forever.

I f***ing hate the government in all it's forms.

/end rant

And yes, I did catch the part about them only doing 23% of the claims in California, but seeing this story, you can only imagine what the other insurance companies are doing with their money. ::)

I know what you mean.. I fell out of a chair at work... found out afterwards there was huge warning label about not putting that particular chair on a plastic mat.  I now have a back injury that I will have for the rest of my life.... I got not a lot of money in a settlement.  A coworker was tapped (seriously tapped) by a girl backing out of her parking space. He banged his elbow and got almost as much money as I got for my back... he had nothing more than a bruise. I was out of work for 5 months and still throw my back out every time I do laundry.  How is that fair?

I f***ing hate the government in all it's forms.

time for the armed compound in montana? i'm totally there, just say the word.

time for the armed compound in montana? i'm totally there, just say the word.


Dude, New Mexico, so much more temperate.

Workers' Compensation is the same everywhere.  I see this day in and day out in my job.  We get Workers Comp patients processed as quickly as possible.  If Workers Comp moved any slower, they'd be going backwards. 

First they automatically deny the initial claim hoping the claimant will just go away, which he or she often does.  No excuse from WC is too prespammersite to deny a claim and no bureaucratic hurdle is to high.  Sometimes WC pulls an illegal maneuver hoping the claimant won't call their bluff.  In one case I saw, the guy got both arms crushed in textile rollers.  He told the doctor WC denied his claim because he was technically still in training on that job when the accident happened.  The man had an 10th grade education; he didn't think he could appeal the denial, so he was prepared to lose everything he had in the world and live in perpetual agony.  The doctor urged him to call a lawyer, which the guy did.  One call from the attorney and Workers' Comp decided just maybe they could honor the claim!

If the claimant presses on, Workers' Comp tries to cover as little as possible hoping the claimant will take the insubstantial offer and shut up, which he or she often does.

The next phase is a bureacratic push-pull in which they nickel-and-dime every prescription and make the claimant run all over creation trying find the few facilities Workers Comp will allow.  The claimant, often in chronic pain, gets fed up and finally pays out of his own pocket if he can afford it.  If not, he keeps grinding the gears or lives with his pain. 

If you think Workers' Compensation is bad, try SSDI!
>:(

Workers' Compensation is the same everywhere.  I see this day in and day out in my job.  We get Workers Comp patients processed as quickly as possible.  If Workers Comp moved any slower, they'd be going backwards. 

First they automatically deny the initial claim hoping the claimant will just go away, which he or she often does.  No excuse from WC is too prespammersite to deny a claim and no bureaucratic hurdle is to high.  Sometimes WC pulls an illegal maneuver hoping the claimant won't call their bluff.  In one case I saw, the guy got both arms crushed in textile rollers.  He told the doctor WC denied his claim because he was technically still in training on that job when the accident happened.  The man had an 10th grade education; he didn't think he could appeal the denial, so he was prepared to lose everything he had in the world and live in perpetual agony.  The doctor urged him to call a lawyer, which the guy did.  One call from the attorney and Workers' Comp decided just maybe they could honor the claim!

If the claimant presses on, Workers' Comp tries to cover as little as possible hoping the claimant will take the insubstantial offer and shut up, which he or she often does.

The next phase is a bureacratic push-pull in which they nickel-and-dime every prescription and make the claimant run all over creation trying find the few facilities Workers Comp will allow.  The claimant, often in chronic pain, gets fed up and finally pays out of his own pocket if he can afford it.  If not, he keeps grinding the gears or lives with his pain.   

If you think Workers' Compensation is bad, try SSDI!
>:(


Yep, that all sounds familiar. My dad is in the last bit of it right now. They called a meeting between his lawyer and the people at WC for tomorrow, so I don't know what will happen. Get this, they wanted to make him see a doctor in Fresno. He lives on the Monterey Bay, a mere three and a half hour car ride. He can barely ride down the street in a car!

And he tried to get SSDI as well. I'm not even going to go there. ::) He also has something called CalPERS which he paid into for 27 years. It amounts to about $43,000. They're balking at giving it to him, even though, you know, it's his money and all. >:(

Yep, that all sounds familiar. My dad is in the last bit of it right now. They called a meeting between his lawyer and the people at WC for tomorrow, so I don't know what will happen. Get this, they wanted to make him see a doctor in Fresno. He lives on the Monterey Bay, a mere three and a half hour car ride. He can barely ride down the street in a car!

And he tried to get SSDI as well. I'm not even going to go there. ::) He also has something called CalPERS which he paid into for 27 years. It amounts to about $43,000. They're balking at giving it to him, even though, you know, it's his money and all. >:(


Yeesh!  Whether it's a government program or a private institution, they only like money flowing one way: Their way!

Something I noticed with UMass, but probably applies to all colleges:  If you owed them money, they'd issue a remittance demand every 48 hours.  If they owed you money, they'd dick you around for two semesters making you fill out this and that form and saying the still need approval from office of such-and-such by so-and-so!
::)

Good luck with your dad's case.  Whatever you do, don't give up!

SSDI sucks.  My friend's husband has rheumatoid Arthritis so bad that he can barely walk and his hands are almost like claws.  It took 3 years of appeals to get him SSDI.  How much more disabled do you need to be.

Good luck to your dad, Jess.  I hope it works out for him and soon.

 
The next phase is a bureacratic push-pull in which they nickel-and-dime every prescription and make the claimant run all over creation trying find the few facilities Workers Comp will allow.  The claimant, often in chronic pain, gets fed up and finally pays out of his own pocket if he can afford it.  If not, he keeps grinding the gears or lives with his pain. 

If you think Workers' Compensation is bad, try SSDI!
>:(


So explain to me again why turning over all health care to a newly-formed government bureaucracy is supposedly a good thing?

Private insurers have a profit motive to deny claims -- but at least you have the option of suing them, which raises the cost of denying your claims to the point that it's in their best business interest to pay something.  The government can't be sued, and the only incentive it has is to provide the same level of customer service as you currently get from the IRS, DMV, and TSA.

So explain to me again why turning over all health care to a newly-formed government bureaucracy is supposedly a good thing?

Private insurers have a profit motive to deny claims -- but at least you have the option of suing them, which raises the cost of denying your claims to the point that it's in their best business interest to pay something.  The government can't be sued, and the only incentive it has is to provide the same level of customer service as you currently get from the IRS, DMV, and TSA.
well, it's the IRS and DMV's job to be a pain in the ass, and they actually do it rather well. as far as i can tell they seem to be right on top of it if i try to short em five bucks or ignore the property tax on my car. since a public health care system would NOT be charged with being a pain in the ass, but rather with providing quality health care, i can't imagine how it could possibly be worse than the private system we have now, which does about a good a job of giving us health care as mcdonalds does of giving us grade a beef.

Just as an update: The meeting yesterday between my dad's lawyer and the WC was called because they were balking at assigning him a new main doctor that wasn't a quack (my dad was "seeing" a doc that was rarely available, always cancelled his appts., and didn't really help). WC chickened out though, so my dad gets to keep seeing the doctor that actually tries to help alleviate the pain. The doctor is also getting up WC's ass about getting my dad epidural shots because they help him walk better.

I like this doctor. :D

So explain to me again why turning over all health care to a newly-formed government bureaucracy is supposedly a good thing?

Private insurers have a profit motive to deny claims -- but at least you have the option of suing them, which raises the cost of denying your claims to the point that it's in their best business interest to pay something.  The government can't be sued, and the only incentive it has is to provide the same level of customer service as you currently get from the IRS, DMV, and TSA.

Well, in order to make a state-run healthcare program work, the prerequisite is a society that does not regard anybody who needs something he can't afford as an enemy of the state.  That is, we would have to be civilized and agree to invest public treasure in a civil society.  BUT...we gave that up when we made Ayn Rand our national godmother.
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/13/jerk.gif

well, it's the IRS and DMV's job to be a pain in the ass, and they actually do it rather well. as far as i can tell they seem to be right on top of it if i try to short em five bucks or ignore the property tax on my car. since a public health care system would NOT be charged with being a pain in the ass, but rather with providing quality health care, i can't imagine how it could possibly be worse than the private system we have now, which does about a good a job of giving us health care as mcdonalds does of giving us grade a beef.


How well does the IRS do when it thinks you shorted it five bucks... and you know darn well you didn't? 
How well does the DMV do when it thinks you didn't fill out the forms the right way... and you think you did?

Bureaucracy corrupts, and absolute bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of an absolutely corrupt bureaucracy.

Maxwell's onto something about being civilized -- but he waits in vain if he thinks the New Socialist Man is gonna appear any time soon.  (Just as I wait, equally in vain, for Atlas to Shrug...)

How well does the IRS do when it thinks you shorted it five bucks... and you know darn well you didn't? 
How well does the DMV do when it thinks you didn't fill out the forms the right way... and you think you did?

Bureaucracy corrupts, and absolute bureaucracy expands to meet the needs of an absolutely corrupt bureaucracy.

Maxwell's onto something about being civilized -- but he waits in vain if he thinks the New Socialist Man is gonna appear any time soon.  (Just as I wait, equally in vain, for Atlas to Shrug...)


I'm not counting on the ideal system.  There will always be problems and unintended consequences; however, when you find yourself in a hole, first thing to do is stop digging.  Our healtcare system is the pits unless you're rich.  The countries with nationalized healthcare show vital statistics of longer, healthier lives for citizens.  This is true even accounting for the hassles of any given system.  If you look at the percentage of healthcare in this country that is administered through medicare and the various medicaid programs, much of our system is already "socialized."  The reason they're inefficient is our government has stated that government is the enemy and sets out to prove it.  Even accounting for the inefficiencies in our government programs dollar-for-dollar administrative expenses are far less. 

Since we consider it blasphemy to tax corporations and unthinkable to raise capital gains taxes above 15%, we must extract onerous amounts of revenue through the working and middle classes.  Indeed, that is why the IRS is more feared and loathed than Al Qaeda.  As for the DMV, we asked for it, and we got it! 

"Sunday came in chrome and steel/Man made God the Automobile"
--Fad Gadget

So we decided to rip out the streetcars and sabotage passenger rail and then spread ourselves thinly into country hamlets connected by nothing but motorways.  In 98% of the U.S.A, if you don't own a car, you cannot function. 

This was an astronomically selfish and stupid plan for civil infrastructure and by 2100 we will all understand the 'burbs were the biggest waste of resources in human history.

The automobile went from oddity to luxury to necessity to obligation.  We thought the automobile would liberate us, but it turns out to be another way for the government to squeeze more cash from the average citizen.  You dance with the devil, the devil always leads.

Mass transit and urban dwelling smacks of commie collectivism; we want our every-man-is-king lifestyle--the detached suburban home and of course two automobiles for every driveway.  Well, you got it.  Quit bellyaching about the DMV unless you want to live like a Frenchman.
::)

More update, but it's semi-good news this time.

Workman's Comp is still sucking, but my dad FINALLY got money from CalPERS. They sent him a pretty hefty check yesterday that counts as the back pay, and he'll be getting money from them each month for life. I made a mistake though. He applied for SSI, not SSDI. Not sure how that works, but anyways, they approved him for that a month ago. However, they sent him a letter a week ago claiming that he was still getting Workman's Comp for a previous injury so they were only going to pay him $251 a month. He's not. They cut it off in 2005. Luckily he saved the paperwork from that, so he sent them a copy of that letter to prove he isn't getting help from Workman's Comp anymore. He also has a supplemental insurance that sends him money each month. So he'll be doing good money wise once everything is settled in. His back, however, is a lost cause. *sigh*

Unfortunately, my parents also had to file for bankruptcy because there was no way (even with the money that my dad is getting now) that they would ever get out of debt. They owed well over a $100 grand in hospital bills. The bankruptcy lawyer was stunned that my parents had hung on for five years without asking for help or trying to file earlier.

I still hate Workman's Comp. I always will, just for the fact that they didn't get my dad into surgery in time. If they would have done that, he would have been back at work like he wanted. He hates sitting at home all the time. :-\\

More update, but it's semi-good news this time.

Workman's Comp is still sucking, but my dad FINALLY got money from CalPERS. They sent him a pretty hefty check yesterday that counts as the back pay, and he'll be getting money from them each month for life. I made a mistake though. He applied for SSI, not SSDI. Not sure how that works, but anyways, they approved him for that a month ago. However, they sent him a letter a week ago claiming that he was still getting Workman's Comp for a previous injury so they were only going to pay him $251 a month. He's not. They cut it off in 2005. Luckily he saved the paperwork from that, so he sent them a copy of that letter to prove he isn't getting help from Workman's Comp anymore. He also has a supplemental insurance that sends him money each month. So he'll be doing good money wise once everything is settled in. His back, however, is a lost cause. *sigh*

Unfortunately, my parents also had to file for bankruptcy because there was no way (even with the money that my dad is getting now) that they would ever get out of debt. They owed well over a $100 grand in hospital bills. The bankruptcy lawyer was stunned that my parents had hung on for five years without asking for help or trying to file earlier.

I still hate Workman's Comp. I always will, just for the fact that they didn't get my dad into surgery in time. If they would have done that, he would have been back at work like he wanted. He hates sitting at home all the time. :-\\

Endless bureaucratic hassle.  It seems they'll spend more money denying a claimant benefits than it would take to just pay out the benefits due.
::)

Endless bureaucratic hassle.  It seems they'll spend more money denying a claimant benefits than it would take to just pay out the benefits due.
::)


The bureaucratic hassle employees people too.  Therefore your statement has a lot more truth than you realize.  People get paid to deny benefits, disgusting yet the truth.